Running away
by sarcasmbecomesyou
Summary: Running from her past, Jess comes to Spencer Academy to keep her family safe. What will the sons of Ipswhich do when they find Jess' past contains someone they thought was dead? Sorry about the gay summary. Please Read. It's really good so far I promise!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to The Covenant movie script or characters. I'm not making money off of my fanfic so please don't sue.**

**Chapter 1**

_God, I hate new schools_ Jessica thought as she entered Spencer Academy the night before school started. Glancing up and down the dorm halls, she moved quickly to find her dorm. Frankly, she found her surroundings more than creepy and she wanted to get out of the hallway as soon as possible. Sighing as she realized her dorm room was at the end of the hall, she wondered what the chances were she could run with all of her bags.

Entering the room she saw her roommates already asleep, and tried to stay quiet as she stashed her suitcases and fell into bed. Hopefully the girls sleeping next to her were normal, and wouldn't stab her in her sleep.

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"_Where are you Jessica? Come out come out wherever you are! I know you're here, and I will find you, and I will hunt you down just like I hunted down your mother. Running here won't do any good. Don't you know? There are people here just like me."_

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Jess sat up with a start and noticed a girl with long brown hair staring at her. _Crap. I wonder how much of my nightmare she saw._

"Woah, chill out girl. You must be Jessica. I'm Kate and that's Sarah." Kate smiled brightly and started rambling about Spencer. Jess, happy to find her roommates were normal, pasted on a smile and tried to forget the sound of the voice in her dream.

"Ok so stay away from Aaron Abbott, he's a prick. Oh and don't worry about curfew since none of the moderators ever check. Come on, let's go to breakfast and take a look at your schedule."

Heading down to the meeting hall, a boy caught up with them.

"Good I caught you guys. Everyone else already ate. I'm Tyler by the way." Tyler was nicely built with brown hair and kind eyes. Jess knew she liked him right away.

"I'm Jess, nice to meet you too."

At breakfast Jessica started to relax. Obviously Kate, Sarah, and Tyler were nothing like the voice in her dream. She hoped she would never run into someone with that kind of power again. Once had been bad enough. Her mind immediately flashed to her mother lying in the hospital back home still in a coma, and she started to panic again.

Noticing Jess' sudden distress, and mistaking it for first day nerves, Tyler tried to smile encouragingly at her. He wished Kate would shut up and let the girl eat already.

Walking with Kate to her first class, Jess realized Spencer Academy was way nicer than her last school. She just hoped what she came to do would work. She couldn't afford to be careless. Her mother's life was at stake.

Her mind still on life back home, Jess dazedly walked to an open seat at the table near Kate in Chemistry. Flipping open her schedule and map, she quickly tried to memorize it so she wouldn't get lost. Kate's introduction at breakfast hadn't covered all of the buildings, and Jess was getting slightly worried.

Oblivious to the movements around her, Jess didn't notice the attention she was getting from a toe head blonde that had just walked in. He however had noticed that there were only two seats left, and he moved quickly to take the one near the mystery girl. Five feet away from the seat, Aaron side-stepped him and beat him to it. Clenching his fists was all he could do to keep himself from beating Aaron's ass.

"Hey you must be new, I'm Aaron Abbott." Jess glanced up and saw Aaron's cocky grin as he moved to sit at her station. In the corner of her eye she caught sight of the other boy and quickly said, "Sorry it's already taken."

"By who?!"

"Me." The boy grinned and sat down quickly just as the teacher walked in. Not wanting to start shit first thing in the morning, Aaron moved to the other side of the room.

"Nice save"

"Don't mention it. I wouldn't want you to be assaulted by his stench for an hour. I'm Reid Garwin by the way, and am in no way affiliated with the asshole that is Aaron Abbott."

"Thank God. Nice to meet you, I'm Jess."

The teacher called everyone to attention and then began droning on about the syllabus and class rules. Having taken Chemistry at her old school, Jess Rolled her eyes, and pulled out a notebook to doodle in. Peeking up at Reid, she smiled noticing that he had fallen asleep.

With his eyes closed, Jess got to take a look at him without him noticing. Although at first all she had noticed was the blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes, she now scanned the rest of him. Looking over him, she imagined how perfect his body was beneath the horrible polyester uniform. Her hand, still holding a pencil, began to outline his shape unconsciously. The bell brought her out of her trance and she glanced down at her paper. _Shit! What am I doing?! _She slammed the notebook shut before anyone saw, and rushed out of the room, not even bothering to meet Kate.

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"So how was your first day?" Sara asked as she plopped on her bed in their room.

"Not too bad, I only got lost a couple of times"

"I heard about your run in with Abbott. Tough luck. I hate having classes with him. Anyways, there's going to be tons of people at Nicky's tonight that I want to introduce you to, so get ready."

Jess groaned as she got off the bed and got ready to take a shower. Hopefully Reid would be there. Who was she kidding? He had barely said two words to her after he sat down. He probably didn't even remember her.

Leaving the dorm room, Jess started to walk towards the showers, and an eerie feeling left the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Stiffening, she quickly moved to the showers, berating herself the whole way for being such a scaredy cat.

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The three girls walked into Nicky's together, Kate immediately checking for Pogue, and Sarah scanning the room for Caleb. On the way to Nicky's, Kate and Sarah had gone on and on about their boyfriends, and Jess felt a little awkward walking in as the third wheel.

Two boys walked over, one of them very tall with dark, short hair, and the other nearly just as tall but with light brown medium length hair. Jess sighed. Both of them were gorgeous of course. Needless to say Jess was definitely not seeing anyone, and she envied her two roommates.

"Oh Jessica, this is Caleb and that is Pogue," Sarah said, first pointing to the dark haired one, and then to the lighter haired one.

"Nice to meet you" Caleb said as he glanced over to Pogue. Unlike Pogue, Caleb's ascension had heightened his ability to sense power, and he definitely saw something in Jessica. Pogue, noticing nothing, smiled at Jess and motioned for everyone to follow them to their table.

Ten minutes later, as Jess crossed the bar, she noticed Reid and an Tyler playing pool. Already spotting Aaron, she knew it was only a matter of time before he started hitting on her again. _Why is it only the creepy guys notice me? First Chase Collins and now Aaron, could it get any worse?_

Sure enough, as she neared Reid, she felt hands grab around her waist.

"Wanna dance baby?"

Not even bothering to check herself, Jess elbowed Aaron in the gut, forcing him to let her go as he gasped for air.

"You'll regret that. I'm the best damn thing at Spencer, and you'll be begging me to fuck you later."

"One more word Aaron and you won't have anything to fuck with," Reid said with a bored look on his face. "Obviously she can smell shit from a mile away and wants nothing to do with you."

Aaron, recovering from the blow to his gut, started to move forward but tripped a foot away from Reid. Reid, gearing up for a fight let out stood there shocked at the turn of events.

Laughing, Jess walked over to Reid, took the pool stick out of his hand, leaned over the pool table, and made the perfect combination shot.

"Thanks," she said, and with that she handed him back the pool stick, and walked out of Nicky's back to the dorms. She was tired anyways, and worried that any more of Aaron's comments would cause her to do something everyone would regret.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Back at the dorms, Jess had gone to the dinning hall to see what she could get out of the vending machines. She quickly pressed the buttons for the skittles and turned to go back to her dorm when she heard a clang. Clenching her fists Jess glanced around the hall. _It's nothing_, _relax_. Unclenching her fists, she started back towards her room.

The dinning hall was on the first floor, and as Jess climbed the staircase she swore someone was following her. Convinced it wasn't just another false alarm, she ran the remaining flight of steps, swung open the door, and rounded the corner still looking over her shoulder expecting to see someone chasing her.

Jess screamed as she collided with someone and hit the ground hard. Looking up she saw an amused Reid, and her face went hot. _Did I_ _scream aloud?_

"Woah, didn't mean to scare you. What were you doing running up the stairs? I would have thought any girl that could handle Aaron _and_ land a combination shot wouldn't be running anywhere."

"Ha. You know me, just trying to keep in shape. Why are you back already?"

"Well, after you left, Nicky threw us all out."

"Oops. Sorry about that."

He shrugged, "No big deal. We get thrown out of their at least three times a week. So where were you headed before you decided to fall down?" Reid smirked waiting for her answer.

"My dorm. I figured I'd try to stay out of trouble for the rest of the night."

"Uh huh, well I'll see you around. I definitely have to get to know a girl that thinks she could beat me at pool." Reid winked and sauntered around the corner, presumably to the staircase Jess had just run out of.

Entering her room, Jess forgot about the skittles and got into bed. Hopefully the creepy feeling would wear off with sleep.

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"For the last time I didn't use on Aaron. I swear! He tripped all on his own" Reid said into his cell.

"Ok well one of us must have used, and Pogue was right next to me, and we both know Tyler didn't do it. You were closest to Aaron. Just be careful. We don't want Jess getting suspicious."

"Yes _mom_." Reid hung up and felt like punching the wall. He really hadn't been using. Obviously it couldn't be Jess, so it must have just been bad luck on Abbott's part. Thank god. He was sure there was going to be another smack down, not that he minded, but he was getting enough crap from Caleb as it is these days. Ever since Chase's disappearance, Caleb's been worried about him returning. Reid found this highly unlikely. Plus, even if he had survived, they could take him. Reid relished the idea of kicking that guys ass.

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Caleb's mind raced. Someone had been using. For some reason though, it felt different from when they all used. Normally, he could sense the anger and know who had used and how, but tonight felt different. He still tasted the anger, but the power was more electric than what he and his friends possessed. When they used, the power came out in bursts, but the power used on Aaron had been more of a steady stream of electricity, like the user had used in slow motion.

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Sarah had watched Caleb anxiously the whole way back to the dorms. She knew something was up and was determined to get it out of him no matter what.

As they pulled up to Spencer, she turned to Caleb, "what's going on? You haven't said two words the whole way back. Did you sense something?"

"No, it's probably nothing. I just thought I sensed a new power tonight. It was probably Reid. We both know he can't resist using on Aaron."

"Did you talk to Pogue about it?"

"Yea. He didn't sense anything though. I don't know, maybe I'm being paranoid."

"Alright, well just try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." With that Sarah kissed him and got out of the car as Caleb drove back to his house. She Hopped it was nothing, and life would continue as usual. The fact that Chase could still be out there still scared her. She couldn't handle it if he hurt everyone again.

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The rest of the week passed without much incident in Jessica's book. Apart from her daily nightmares, she hadn't felt an evil presence at Spencer yet. Thinking of nightmares, she hoped Kate and Sarah hadn't noticed her twitching in her sleep. She like them, but wasn't ready to share her past just yet.

Thursday Jess woke up happy. She had managed to sleep the whole night without a single nightmare. Taking this as a good sign, she walked down to breakfast whistling.

Sarah noticed Jess' chipper mood, but didn't comment. She didn't want Jess to know she had been secretly spying on her while she slept all week. Not knowing if chronic nightmares was reason enough to suspect anything, Sarah had decided to only tell Caleb if Jess' nightmares persisted longer than a week. Obviously she hadn't had one, and Sarah was relieved.

"So what do you have first today Jess?"

"English"

"Me too," said Reid as he smiled and slid in next to her.

"I hate English," Tyler groaned as he took a bite out of toast.

"Who knows, maybe this year English won't suck," he said winking at Jess.

Biting back laughter, Jess quickly took a drink of OJ before anyone noticed the flirtatious exchange.

As predicted, Jess actually found herself enjoying English. Reid sat next to her, and as the teacher lectured, they passed a notebook between them.

_Mr. George's pants look like they might burst at any moment. I wonder what he had for breakfast._

_Well if he ate anything like you did this morning, I'm sure his pants are bound to rip. Not all of us can keep up the diet you can._

_Which is a shame really, since they are clearly missing out on delicious food._

_Yea like what, a double cheeseburger with bacon? That's like a heart attack waiting to happen._

The banter had continued all through class until the bell rang and Reid walked her to Calculus winking at her as he turned to go to the library.

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Climbing into bed that night, Jess started to wonder about Reid and their flirtatious relationship. He didn't really seem like the relationship type, and she didn't know if she wanted to be the type of girl that was ok with a one night stand. Laughing, she realized she secretly wanted to sleep with him, even if it just happened once.

_Whatever, he probably has a ton of other girls he's interested in. Why complicate my life any further? _With that Jess rolled over and flipped off the light, looking forward to another night without nightmares.

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_Stumbling in the dark Jess wondered where she was. Obviously it was a dream. She'd had lucid dreams ever since she met Chase, and knew that getting out of it would be impossible. She was under his command, and she braced herself for the inevitable as she looked around._

_Up in the distance she could see a campfire, and started to move towards it. As she neared, she saw the four boys, Kate and Sarah, and herself all sitting around the fire. Reid was telling her he could make the best roasted marshmallows, Kate and Pogue were about to makeout, and Sarah, Tyler, and Caleb were whispering about something. _

_Smiling, Jess started to think it might not be a nightmare after all. Then she heard it. Turning around she saw Chase come out of the shadows of the woods. _

_Looking casually at her he said, "Wow looks like you and Reid are really hitting it off. Too bad, since he probably won't make it through the night. Want to wait around and watch?" With that he moved forward into the scene. Unlike Jess helplessly looking on from the outside, Chase could be seen. Well, maybe not as seen, but felt. Immediately the four boys stood up and looked around._

"_Did you feel that man?" Pogue said to Caleb as he quickly put Kate behind him. _

"_Yea. Maybe it's time we get the girls settled and look around. Just to be safe"_

_Jess moved forward. She couldn't just watch as the dream version of her and her friends were attacked. But it was too late._

_Chase took a hold of the Reid and slammed him into a tree. Reid, unable to see the attacker didn't even know what hit him. The dream version of Jess, also unable to see its source, could only run over to Reid and glance around nervously. Caleb and Pogue took a few steps towards Reid and narrowed their eyes._

"_What the hell?"_

"_Caleb, he's knocked out cold." Tyler said, worriedly looking down at his friend._

"_What the hell is going on?" The dream Jess stammered._

_Meanwhile Chase had walked out of the scene towards the on looking Jess saying, "Wow, you should really be more careful around your friends, it seems like everyone around you suffers."_

"_Leave them alone you asshole!"_

"_I will if you give me what I want"_

"_NO!"_

"_Well then, when I'm stronger, I'll find you again, and this time I won't ask, I'll just take."_

"_You know it doesn't work like that."_

_Grabbing her around the throat Chase yelled, "listen bitch, you'll do as I say or your new friends will all die. Not that I wasn't planning on killing them anyway. You are so naïve, can't you tell those four are the son's of Ipswich? Running from me did nothing. You're hanging out with people with the same abilities I have." _

Sarah had walked in and noticed Jess twitching. Quickly shaking her, Jess stifled a scream as she sat bolt upright in bed. Seeing Sarah, alive and away from the forest, Jess relaxed.

"You ok Jess?"

"Yea, just a bad dream."

"Ok, well I'm going to bed. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yep"

As Sarah fell asleep Jess could only wonder about her dream. Was he right? Did her new friends posses the same powers as Chase? It did seem like they might. But they didn't seem to posses it in the same way. Chase was vindictive and manipulative, but Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and Tyler seemed like normal guys. She couldn't image Reid inflicting the same pain that Chase had. She'd definitely have to be more on guard around them. Either way, she had to make a judgment, and fast, before it was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Camping trip this weekend!!" Kate looked excited as she dropped this bombshell on the group at lunch on Friday.

"What?! Camping?" Jess immediately saw the image of Reid flying against a tree, and winced.

Misinterpreting the wince, Reid laughed saying, "No worries, I'll protect you from big foot," as he sat down next to her.

Desperately looking for an excuse Jess said, "But I don't even own a sleeping bag or tent. Maybe you guys should just go without me."

"Not a chance. Don't worry about it, we have extra sleeping bags" Sarah said.

The whole group looked at her expectantly. Reid, to her right, amused at her sudden panic started to cluck like a chicken. Laughing, Caleb and Pogue joined in as Tyler walked over.

"Hey who's the chicken?"

"Jess"

"Nervous about camping? Don't be. Reid always talks big but we all know he's a city boy."

"Shut up Tyler"

Tyler laughed as he sat down between Jess and Sarah. "You have to come Jess, there's always parties going on at the other campsites."

Seeing no way out of it, Jess could only smile and nod, determined that if Chase did make an appearance, she'd be able to stop him. It might mean her friends would learn more about her than she wanted, but she couldn't let Chase kill them because of her.

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"What's with Jess today?" Reid asked Sarah as they walked to the last class of the day.

Keeping her voice neutral Sarah asked, "What do you mean?"

"She's been jumpy all day. The slightest noise sets her off."

"Oh. Well I don't know if she would want me to tell you"

"Fuck it, what is it?"

"Jess has been having nightmares."

"For how long?"

"Well, all week I think. Last night was the first time I was sure though. At first I thought she was just twitching in her sleep, but last night it looked like she was being choked in her dream. Actually, before she woke up, I swear I saw a hand print on her throat."

"Fuck. Does Caleb know? You know he'd freak out if he heard."

"Yea, I've been debating whether I should tell him or not."

"Don't tell him yet. I'll keep an eye on her this weekend."

"Woah, Reid what's going on? Do you think something is coming after the four of you again?"

"I don't know just yet, but I'm not risking Caleb flying off the handle at Jess just yet."

"I've never seen you like this. You like her don't you?"

"Yea, I do. I'm going out of my mind trying to come up with a way to get closer to her, but lately it's like her mind has been somewhere else. If anyone gets too close to her she stiffens, like she's going to be attacked."

"Yea, I've noticed that too. I think it might have something to do with the nightmares. It's like she's waiting for something. But, I can tell she likes you too. You should definitely go for it this weekend on the trip."

"Yea, maybe I will. Thanks Sarah."

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The group left early the next morning in Tyler's SUV. Caleb had insisted on driving, and Sarah sat up front with him to help him navigate. Pogue and Kate sat in the middle row, leaving Jess squished between Tyler and Reid. The trip to the campsite would take about three hours, and even though it was early, everyone was excited.

About an hour and a half into the trip, the excitement had worn off. Tyler, pissed at Caleb for nearly running into another driver on the road and almost killing his car, was grumbling profanities while Pogue and Reid just laughed. Sarah had drifted off to sleep in the passenger seat, leaving Caleb to read the directions and drive at the same time. Looking at Sarah's peaceful face, Caleb didn't have the heart to wake her to ask her for help. Jess meanwhile, unable to sleep the night before, started to drift off.

_Looking around, Jess realized she was back home. She quickly dashed up the stairs to her mother's room, only to find Chase standing over her. _

"_Get away from her jack ass!"_

"_Watch it missy, I have your mom's life in my hands."_

"_DON'T CALL ME MISSY!" With that Jess let out a jolt of power causing Chase to hit the wall._

_Chase, laughing merely said, "You're going to regret that." He quickly threw back his own power at Jess, causing her to hit the opposite wall. Knowing the back of her head had taken the brunt of the blow, Jess wasn't surprised to find blood running down the back of her neck. She knew it was a matter of seconds before Chase attacked again, and she didn't know how much fight she had left in her._

When Jess had dozed off, her head had fallen on Reid's shoulder. Reid smiled and adjusted his neck to allow more room for Jess' head. He could feel her breath on his neck, and started to doze off as well when Jess started to twitch.

Watching Jess' hands clench into fists, Reid knew she was having a nightmare, and tried to wake her before anyone else noticed what was going on.

Jess gasped as she was pulled from her nightmare just before Chase had hit her with a deadly blow. Immediately sitting up, she reached around to touch the back of her head, but relaxed when she didn't feel blood.

"Bad dream?" Reid asked innocently as he watched her face intently.

"Yea I guess. Sorry about that." Jess started to shift away from Reid, aware that she was actually quite close to him.

Reid, noticing what Jess was doing, quickly put an arm around her shoulders and winked. "Don't worry about it. A lot of people find the woods intimidating."

Laughing, Jess whacked his stomach playfully and wiggled closer to him. _Maybe this camping thing wasn't such a bad idea. I mean it's not like Chase is anywhere outside of my dreams at this point. What could it hurt to spend a few days with my friends?_

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Finally, the group made it to the campsite and started to unload. As the boys got to work on the tent, the three girls went to gather wood and start the fire pit.

"So you and Reid looked pretty cozy for a while," Kate said innocently.

"I wouldn't respond to that Jess," Sarah said.

Playing along, Jess tried to muster an innocent expression saying, "What do you mean Kate?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you're not that good."

"Ha. Well Reid and I are just friends. I'm sure he doesn't see me in any other way."

"I doubt that," Sarah said cryptically, a small smile playing on her face.

"Whatever, it's not like I have that much experience with boys."

"Somehow, I think Reid might find that more attractive," Kate said.

"Yea, don't let the edgy style throw you off. We all know he's into you."

"We'll see," Jess said smiling as she bent down to pick up another log.

The girls made their way back to the campsite and started to build the fire pit. The boys had set up the tent, and were getting the remaining things out of the SUV. _See, Nothing to worry about. It's just a normal camping trip. _

**3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So there's a party going on at the next campsite over tonight," Kate said excitedly.

Jess looked up alarmed, "Isn't that where Aaron is staying?!"

Kate winked at her, "Don't worry, I'm sure Reid will protect your honor."

"I look forward to it," Reid said as he climbed out of the tent.

Jess smiled innocently, "I don't know. Anyone afraid of Bigfoot might not be up for the challenge." Reid's mouth dropped open in surprise, as Jess and Kate laughed.

Two hours later, the group started to walk towards the other campsite. Jess, with poor night vision, stayed towards the back so no one would notice her tripping along. Taking it slow, and keeping her eyes down, Jess didn't notice that the others had been moving a lot faster than her. Glancing up a couple minutes later, Jess found herself alone, and could only faintly hear Sarah's voice.

Panicking, Jess made the mistake of turning around in a circle one way, and then the other until she no longer remembered which way she had been heading. _Shit!_ Deciding that any further movement would be a bad idea, Jess tried to calm herself down by sitting against a nearby tree. _Obviously someone is going to notice I'm missing. All I have to do is wait it out._

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"Uh Reid, where is Jess? She was right behind you? I thought you told me you would keep an eye on her this weekend," Sarah said quietly so as not to alarm the others.

"SHIT! I swear Sarah she was right behind me. Cover for me while I go back for her?"

"Yea, no problem, just hurry."

Reid turned back down the path to find Jess. _God, I knew she was worried about this trip and I let her get lost._ Hoping Jess hadn't strayed from the path, Reid moved quickly. A couple minutes along, he started to hear a faint voice. Moving faster, sure he would find Jess at any moment, Reid realized he must have passed the voice. As he turned to backtrack, he almost missed Jess sitting against a tree humming, obviously unaware of his presence.

Reid smiled wickedly, and decided to sneak up on her. As he moved off of the path towards her, his right foot broke a twig. Jess shot up from her seat and started to back away from the sound.

Noticing her panic, Reid said, "Chill Jess, it's only me."

Jess, surprised at the sudden voice had taken another step backwards, only to find herself falling backwards.

"Shit, sorry" Reid said as he moved to help her up.

"What is it with you and scaring people" Jess said, glaring.

"I can't help the effect I have on you" Reid said innocently. "Come on, let's get to the party already. This time I won't leave you, I promise"

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Drinking around the campfire, everyone was having a good time at the party. Reid had kept his word, and hung out with Jess the whole night. Caleb and Sarah were having a good time dancing, and Tyler was flirting with several Spencer girls. Pogue and Kate had gotten into another spat on the way to the party, but Pogue was trying to make it up to her.

Reid's tightened his grip on Jess when he saw Aaron start to walk over. Shifting his face away from Jess, Reid's eyes went black as Aaron's pants fell down. Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler's heads shot up looking nervously at Jess to see if she had seen. Seeing that in her inebriated state she was oblivious, the boys relaxed and went back to partying. Reid sighed, knowing that he would get an earful from Caleb for using in public later.

Everyone was ready to crash at around one, so the group made their way back to camp. Not even bothering to undress, everyone grabbed a sleeping back and spread out in the tent; Pogue on the end, followed by Kate, Caleb, and Sarah. Tyler slept at Caleb and Sarah's feet near everyone's clothes. Jess slept at Pogue and Kate's feet, with Reid next to her already fast asleep.

_Jess was back home at her old school during lunch. She could see herself sitting with her old friends laughing when she spotted Chase. He moved effortlessly through the crowds towards the Jess sitting at lunch. He quickly charmed her friends into leaving, and sat down next to Jess._

_Jessica remembered this day, and not wanting to watch the events unfold again, turned to leave when she was once again grabbed by the throat. Confused, Jess looked back towards the lunch table expecting to see herself and Chase talking, only to find no one there. Chase had moved out of the scene to attack her._

_Trying to fight back was getting Jess no where, and she knew Chase would kill her in a matter of seconds this time._

As Jess and Reid slept, Reid had shifted until his arm was around Jess protectively, and his face was buried in her hair. Waking up as Jess still slept, Reid was content to just hold her. Jess started to twitch, obviously having another nightmare. Reid was able to see her more clearly because it was light outside, and looked closely at her neck. Seeing the hand print Sarah had mentioned, Reid desperately tried to wake her before Jess could no longer breathe.

Jess gasped as she wrenched open her eyes finding Reid's face just inches from her own. _Shit. He definitely saw something. Think quick._

"Hey shit, are you ok?"

"Um yea I'm fine. I guess the woods just got to me," Jess laughed nervously and started to get out of her sleeping bag. "I'm just going to go for a run to calm down. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"I can come with if you want."

"Uh, I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Come on. You could get lost."

Realizing he was right, and not wanting to waste anymore time, Jess said, "Fine, but I only have one speed." Putting on her shoes, Jess opened the tent and started running, not waiting for him to catch up.

Jess' feat continued to pound into the woods, but it wasn't fast enough. She could still see her recent nightmares, and she clenched her fists as she picked up the pace. She was running away from everything that had ever hurt her. Jess could see her mom lying on the hospital bed with eyes that wouldn't open. She could see Chase's smirking face as he laughed at the destruction he left in his wake.

Still wrapped up in her past, Jess hadn't noticed tears streaming down her face. If she did, she would have tried to wipe them away before Reid saw. But she didn't notice, and he didn't say anything, and she continued to run, trying to put as many paces behind her as she could. Her eyesight continued to blur until she could barely make out the terrain she was running on.

Just as she was about to topple over an uprooted branch, Reid's arms shot out and caught her. At his touch, her resolve broke and her sobs made her body shake. Not hesitating, Reid wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into himself protectively. Not saying a word, Reid held her until the sobbing ceased.

"I'm s-ssorry. I s-swear I'm n-normally n-not l-like t-this."

"It's ok, just let it out."

Keeping one arm around her shoulders, Reid steered her over to a tree stump and sat her down. Kneeling on the ground so that he was eye level with her, he asked, "Jess, what's going on? Don't be mad, but Sarah told me you've been having a rough time at night."

"It's a long story."

"I don't care, I have time. What is it?"

"Last January this new guy came to my old school. At first he seemed cool, everyone liked him, and I found myself wanting to get to know him more. We started hanging out more and more, but I realized something was wrong with him. Our schedules were nothing alike, we barley had one class together, but I would see him around all of my classes. At first I thought it was cute, you know, like he wanted to just walk me to all of my classes. But then, one day, a couple months later, I was out sick and he ditched school and came over to my house. I hadn't even told him where I lived, but somehow he found my house and got inside. He said my mom let him in, but I knew my mom had left really early that morning, and I started to panic. I had my phone under the covers of my bed and called the police. I called him on his bluff, and he got really angry. He was yelling at me, _Why does it matter how I got here? I'm here, and you have something I want. And when I want something, I always get it. _My mom worked around the corner, and said she'd be home at lunch to check on me, and I saw her walk in behind him, and I tried to tell her to get out before it was to late, but he grabbed her. He…..he hit her hard…..it was like nothing I've ever seen before. She fell backwards down the stairs. I screamed and tried to get out of bed to go to her, but….I couldn't make it Reid… I was really sick. The sickest I've ever been. I hadn't been able to keep anything down, and I …I passed out as I tried to run over to her. The last thing I heard was, _I'll always follow you, wherever you go. _By the time police got there, he had already gone. Twelve hours later, after I had given the full report to the police, they searched his house and found nothing. In fact, they hadn't even found any record that he had ever existed. Even the records at the school had been taken. Even though every teacher knew him, it was as if he didn't exist. My mom's fall wasn't bad, but they had to do surgery. She still hasn't woken up, even though the anesthesia wore off. I came here to keep him from coming back to finish her off. My dad didn't want me to leave, but I pleaded, and he got me on the first flight out here. I just….I can't seem to shake the feeling that he knows where I am…and that he will find me and hurt everyone I care about again."

As Jess had said all of this, she hadn't looked at Reid for fear of his reaction. When she had finished, she lifted her head slowly, not knowing what to expect. When she finally met his gaze, she was surprised at the intensity of his eyes. He pulled her to her feet and pulled her into himself. She let him hold her, her head fitting perfectly under the crook of his neck.

"I'm so sorry Jess. Why didn't you tell someone? This is too heavy of a burden. He won't touch you, I promise." Reid continued to hold her with both arms around the top of her protectively, one hand cradling the back of her head.

She looked up at him, "I know. This is the safest I've felt in a long time. I could stay like this forever."

"Me too," with that Reid closed the remaining distance between their lips. His kiss was soft and gentle. When Jess tilted her head, returning the kiss, Reid deepened it by placing both hands on either side of her face. Jess stepped back first, and Reid took her hand and started to turn her back towards the campsite. Jess smiled and moved her arm around his waste as they walked back in silence.

Nearing the campsite, Reid asked, "What was his name Jess?"

Jess winced, "Does it matter?"

"It does to me, but if you don't want to say it just yet you don't have to"

"His name was Ch-…"

"Hey guys where have you been?! Everyone's been worried sick," Sarah said. Looking at their embrace, Sarah just smiled. "Well come on, everything is already loaded."

Letting the matter drop, the pair followed Sarah to the car.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jess groaned Monday morning when her alarm went off, not wanting to get out of bed. She had been having a really good dream about Reid, and for once Chase hadn't entered the picture. Realizing she would be late if she hit the snooze button one more time, Jess quickly got dressed and headed down to breakfast.

Reid and the boys had swim practice that morning, and Kate and Sarah had already eaten, so Jess headed down to the dinning hall to eat by herself. As she ate, she thought about the rest of the day on Sunday when everyone had returned from the camping trip.

_Feeling gross, Jess grabbed a shower when they got back to the dorms on Sunday. After, Reid texted her asking if she wanted to go grab a bite to eat. Quickly replying yes, Jess got ready and headed downstairs to meet him. Everyone else had gone to Nicky's, so they headed towards a local diner, Reid holding her hand the whole way there._

_They talked about everything that night, not even noticing that they had been at the diner for over three hours. Reid was careful not to bring up what Jess had told him earlier, deciding it was better to let her tell him more about it when she was ready. Jess, thankful for the chance to forget, animatedly told him about her life thus far. The whole ride back that morning, Jess had silently leaned her head on Reid and fell asleep without nightmares. Every time she woke up, her face still didn't hold enough color to satisfy Reid, and he had been getting worried. He relaxed as he watched her eyes light up and color return to her face as the night continued though._

_Walking back to the dorms, Reid kissed her before they parted ways. Again the kiss had been protective, and Jess found herself letting go of the world around her, giving in fully to the kiss._

The bell rang pulling Jess out of her daydream, and she sighed as she moved to throw her remaining food away and head to class. _Good thing I have class with him first thing this morning, _Jess thought as she smiled to herself.

"Hey where did you go last night," Kate asked as Jess entered Chem. "You and Reid both disappeared. We all waited for you guys at Nicky's."

Reid walked in then, winked at Jess, and took his seat. Jess blushed and tried to suppress a smile, but Kate saw.

"Oh MY GOD! You guys went out together alone!"

"Shhhhhh! Kate shut up right now"

"No, tell me what happened. What did you guys do? Did he kiss you? Who am I kidding, he totally kissed you. He's wanted to kiss you since you got here…"

Kate had been about to continue when the teacher had walked in, and Jess, seeing a chance to escape, ducked over to her seat across from Reid.

"How hard did Kate just try to get the details of our date out of you?"

"Like it was a million dollar ring up for grabs."

"Ha. That's so Kate. What are you going to do? You know she'll stick to you like white on rice until you tell her."

"I know, but I kind of wanted to not have that conversation with her."

"Why not?"

"Well obviously she's going to ask if we are together or just hooking up, and since we haven't talked about it, our first date was yesterday for Christ's sake, I don't know what to tell her." Jess looked up nervously trying to gage his reaction.

Reid, not giving anything away, solicited a glare from Jess. Laughing he said, "I was under the impression we were closer than fuck buddies. Not that I wouldn't mind fucking you," Reid said with a sly grin, "but I think what we have is deeper than just that."

Grinning Jess nodded about to open her mouth to agree, when the teacher shushed them and began the lecture. Smiling, Jess pulled out her notebook and tried to pay attention to the lecture.

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"Stop staring at me, I can't concentrate," Jess whispered sitting across from Reid in the library later that day.

Laughing, Reid said, "Sorry. How much longer until you're done? Let's go do something. You know I can't handle the library. God, my reputation will go down the drain if I'm caught in here," Reid said jokingly looking around to see if anyone saw him.

"Chill Garwin I'm done," Jess said closing her book. It was useless trying to study around him, she didn't even know why she bothered. "What do you want to do?"

"Not be in the library."

"Why, the library is kind of sexy don't you think?"

"Uh no. How can it be sexy?"

"Follow me and find out," Jess said smiling wickedly at him.

Jess had walked towards the newspaper clipping section of the library in the far back. Knowing that no one ever used that section, Jess knew it would be perfect for what she had planned. Reid followed behind her amused at the sudden turn of events.

When Reid noticed where they were, he pushed her up against one of the bookcases. "I can get used to this," Reid said as he caught her mouth with his.

Jess' laughter quickly turned into a soft moan as the kiss deepened. Reid moved his hands from her face down the side of her torso, stopping at her hips. Hooking his fingers into her school uniform skirt, Reid pulled her hips into his own. Jess' hands on his shoulders tightened, and she raked one hand through his hair as the other tightened on his bicep.

Not wanting to push things further, Jess broke the kiss first sighing. Reid kept his hands on her hips, and rested his forehead on her shoulder catching his breath.

"Who knew the library could be such fun."

"Yea all you needed was a good study partner."

"Maybe you could tutor me later?"

"If your nice," Jess said laughing as they walked back to get their stuff and grab a bite to eat.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Tuesday had not gone as well as Monday. It started out much the same as yesterday, but by lunch time, Kate was demanding that Jess tell him about Reid.

"Come on Jess, you promised you'd tell me last night, but you got in so late I was already asleep. Don't even try to tell me that was an accident. I know you were with him again. What did you guys do?"

"We just went to get something to eat, nothing big."

"Details Jessica!"

"Well yesterday we went to that diner up the road and had a really good time. We talked about everything. We were going to meet you guys afterwards, but we were at the diner for like three hours."

"Woah. Ok then what happened?"

"He walked me back to our room and I went to bed."

"Did he kiss you?"

"Kate!"

"He did didn't he? Ok so what, are you guys like a couple or just friends with benefits kind of thing?"

"We definitely aren't just fuck buddies," Jess said smiling.

Kate punched her fist into the air, "Yes, I knew it! I told Pogue there was something there."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"Chill out, Pogue isn't going to spread rumors." With that Kate continued to ask questions until Jess couldn't answer anymore, and had walked away kind of annoyed.

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Piled with homework, Jess didn't even get to hang out with Reid that night. She sat in her dorm trying to make it through a mound of homework, but she needed a break. She grabbed her stuff to take a shower, and walked into the hall. For the first time that week, Jess didn't feel nervous walking to the shower alone.

As soon as she walked in the shower room, she noticed one of the bulbs were out. Not wanting to go to another floor, Jess decided to shower in the dim light. As she showered, she felt her old fears creep back into her head. _Chill out, you're fine. You're just jumpy because you haven't had Reid around today to calm you down, _Jess thought shakily. Not wanting to test her new found strength, Jess quickly showered and wrapped her towel around herself.

In the now darkened hallway, Jess slowly made her way back to her room. Her phone rang, causing her to jump. She answered it as she opened the door to her room.

"He Reid!"

"Hey babe, how is the homework coming?"

"Not good, I still have a lot to do. Why?"

"Oh, well everyone is going to Nicky's tonight so I was wondering if you wanted to come, but I can just come up to your room instead if you want."

"No don't worry about it. Have fun with everyone, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm probably just going to crash anyway."

"Alright I'll talk to you later."

Jess hung up and sighed, pissed that she couldn't just blow off her work to hang out with Reid. She tried to keep working, but was so pissed she decided just to take a nap. Not even bothering to take off her shoes, Jess got into bed, her' mind going over the day's disappointments. As she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, her restless mind regressed to its old tricks.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Jess found herself running through the woods, and looked over her shoulder expecting to see Reid right behind her. Instead of Reid, Chase was running after her, only five paces behind. Jess tried to pick up the pace and out run him, but knew it was futile._

_She saw Reid up ahead, and tried to yell to him to run. Reid, not hearing her, had instead moved towards her. That's when Chase hit Reid with all of his power, causing Reid to hit a nearby tree._

_Jess stopped running and turned on her heel to face Chase. "Stop it you bastard," She screamed raising her hands to send her own power back to him. He dodged her electric current of power and laughed. She struck him again, and he fell backwards hard._

_"That wasn't very nice Jessica," Chase said, giving her name a few extra syllables, "And mean girls deserved to be punished." With that he threw a ball of his power at her causing her to double over in pain. He moved closer to her, ready to finish what he started._

_Jess stood up strait and spread her fingers wide. At the same time she took a step forward, she pushed her hands toward him, and her power coursed from her heart out of her fingers hitting him square in the chest. As he hit a nearby tree, Jess turned to see how Reid was holding up. Concerned about his shallow breathing pattern, Jess hadn't notice Chase sneak up behind her._

_He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. With his other hand he slapped her cheek sending spots across her vision. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness…it was only a matter of seconds before her airways were crushed._

Caleb had brought Sarah back early that night because they were both tired. He held her hand as he walked her to her dorm, and as they rounded the corner, they both heard a muffled scream. Not sure where the sound was coming from, they moved further down the hall. Outside Sarah's dorm, Caleb could hear someone screaming inside. Not even bothering to unlock it with Sarah's keys, Caleb pushed Sarah behind him, his eyes flashing black as he kicked open the door.

The door jarred Jess from her sleep, and she sat up wrenching her eyes open. Still unfocused from slumber, Jess could barely make out the male's face that had just entered her room. The dark hair and black eyes were all she saw before she screamed, "CHASE" and hit Caleb with her power. By the time he hit the wall, she was fully awake, and saw what she had done.

Sarah ran over to Caleb as Jess jumped off of the bed and scrambled out the door. Chase or no Chase, she had seen the black eyes, and wanted to put as much distance between herself and Caleb as possible.

"Stay here" Caleb told Sarah as he scrambled out after Jess, already on his cell with Pogue.

"Where are you Pogue? Everyone needs to get here right now."

"What's going on man?"

"Sarah and I just walked in on Jess' nightmare, and she woke up screaming Chase's name with eyes as black as night and threw me across the room with her power!"

"What the fuck! Ok We're coming."

"Hurry, it might already be too late."

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Jess slowed down as she reached the nearby wooded area of campus. Hoping to just wait it out until morning and then catch a ride home, she sat down on a nearby stump. She hadn't heard Caleb following her, and she was relatively certain he wouldn't find her. _What am I going to tell Reid when he finds I've left, _Jess wondered as she sat there.

Caleb was about 500 feet away from Jess, waiting for the other boys to meet him. When they got their, Reid was demanding that Caleb explain everything right there, but for once Caleb's look silenced him.

Jess heard the twigs snap, and immediately stood up. As Caleb walked into the clearing alone, Jess pulled her power around her in a protective bubble. Caleb's eyes were black as before, and Jess was prepared for anything he might throw at her.

"We aren't going to hurt you Jess, honest," Caleb said holding his hands up causing Jess to wince.

"We?!" Jess looked around wildly, and found herself surrounded by the four of them; Caleb to her front, Pogue on her right, Reid on her left, and Tyler at her back. She immediately focused her attention on Reid, and winced as she saw his eyes go black just like Caleb's. "You're just like him," she spat at Reid. _God I'm an idiot and now I am dead. No way can I keep this bubble up for much longer._

Reid's expression was pained as he said, "Like who?"

"Chase."

"What?! How the fuck do you know him?" Reid asked shocked as he took a step forward. Noticing the fear when he did so, and not wanting to scare her further, he quickly stopped and took a step back. If he wasn't careful he would lose her, even though a part of him registered that it seemed he never really had the real her.

"He was my stalker last year, but I'm sure you already knew that." Jessica said, her voice trembling as she spoke. Reid knew the energy it must take her to keep the protection up, and worried what it would cost her.

"Shit! Caleb you were right man," Reid said, not taking his eyes off of Jess. "I thought for sure Chase was gone."

"This whole thing was a set up. Everything you said to me, just a ploy to get closer to me. How could you Reid?" Jess cried. The protection around her grew slightly at her angry outburst, causing everyone to take several steps back from her.

"Jess no, you have to listen to me. We are nothing like Chase."

"Ha, explain the eyes then Reid."

"Yes, we have the same powers, but it was Caleb that tried to kill him last year. You have to believe me" Reid pleaded with her.

"No, that doesn't make sense. Chase told me he would send others. I didn't know I would end up right in their arms though. God I am stupid." Jess' voice trembled, and for an instant the protection around her faultered.

"Jess, look at me. I told you I would protect you, and I meant it. Chase isn't going to touch you. All you have to do is drop the power and let us in on the whole story." As Reid spoke, he had inched his way closer to her. When she didn't put up a fight, he continued to walk towards her, palms up in a surrender position pleading with his eyes.

Jess felt herself on the brink of collapsing, and knew she had to make a decision soon. She looked around the group and noticed that everyone had backed away from her except for Reid. In fact, none of their eyes were even remotely black anymore. Aware this could be a trap, but knowing she had no other choice, Jess dropped the bubble that surrounded her and immediately began to topple over from the loss of energy.

Reid caught her before her head hit the hard ground beneath her, and he swept her unconscious form in his arms protectively.

"We have to get her somewhere safe Caleb. We don't know how close he is to finding her. I should have known it wasn't an ordinary stalker from what I saw."

Caleb nodded, and motioned for everyone to follow him. Still carrying Jess, Reid wondered what to expect when she awoke.

**Author's note: ok so what does everyone think so far? I should have a couple more chapters done in a few days. Please review...this is my first time so tell me if I'm doing something wrong. Any plot suggestions would be great too (even though im pretty set on the next few chapters) :)**


	8. Chapter 8

-1**Chapter 8**

Jess groaned and rolled over. Jess realized that this roll should have put her on the floor in her small bed, and the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. She sat up quickly, not knowing what to expect.

The room was medium size and ornately decorated. Across from the bed sat a small vanity between two doors. Jess climbed out of bed to inspect further, and saw that the two doors led to a bathroom and a medium walk in closet. Sighing, Jess turned around and stifled a scream.

On the left hand side of the bed, Reid was sleeping in a lounge chair. Assuming that the door next to him was the only exit, Jess would have to walk right by him to escape. As she crept forward, she noticed paper on the other pillow on the bed. Picking it up and climbing back into bed, Jess opened the letter and began to read.

Jess,

I know after last night you might not ever want to speak to me again. All I ask is that you read what I have to say, and if even then you can't trust me enough to make us work, I will understand.

Chase came to Spencer Academy at the start of last year. The first night we met him he backed us up when Aaron was being an asshole to Kate. We all thought he was cool, and he started to hang around us even more. Honestly, the only one of us that was suspicious at first was Pogue, but his suspicions had more to do with the fact Chase was hitting on Kate than anything else.

Right before Caleb turned eighteen, darklings started to appear. Even Sarah, who as far as we know has no freaky abilities, began having nightmares. Then one day at practice, Caleb and Chase faced off, and Caleb saw Chase's eyes go black. At first no one believed him; we all thought he was just pissed because someone was better than him, but then Kate ended up in the hospital.

The doctors said it was like hundreds of spiders had bitten her. Pogue ran off after Chase, but Chase threw him off his bike. Chase then confronted Caleb saying that when he turned eighteen, he would have to will over his power or all of us would die.

On the night of Caleb's birthday, the two fought, and Caleb was losing until his father willed Caleb his power. Caleb thought he killed Chase that night because the spells over Kate and Sarah dissipated.

He is mad with power, but I'm sure you already know that. He obviously found you because of your gift, and he probably will not stop hunting you until he gets what he wants. As long as you stay in Caleb's house, he cannot get to you, but obviously you cannot stay here forever. All of us are prepared to fight him and kill him once and for all. All we need is you to trust enough to tell us the whole story and what exactly happened.

Please trust me when I tell you that I had no idea of your abilities before last night. The first time I met you I wanted to get to know you, and that hasn't changed. I've been kicking myself for not figuring out that your stalker was Chase all this time. I could have done so much more to protect you. Last night when you told us, it was all I could do to keep myself from wrapping my arms around you, but I didn't want to feel your rejection.

I have never told anyone about my abilities, but you deserve to know the truth. The four families moved to America to avoid persecution in Europe. The power was passed down through the male line, one son for every father. You probably know about the consequences. The more we use, the more seductive the power becomes. At eighteen we ascend, and receive much more power. All of us have ascended now, Caleb first, then Pogue, then me, and then Tyler. If we use too often, our bodies start to wear down, until we look eighty years old when we are really only thirty.

Caleb tried to warn us about Chase, but I had no reason to worry until now. I can't imagine a day in my life without you in it, and I will hunt him down until he is dead and you are safe.

Reid Garwin.

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Jess was crying by the time she finished the letter. Not noticing how loud she was getting, she didn't notice that Reid was no longer sleeping. Not sure if it was ok to go to her, Reid put his hands up and moved toward her cautiously.

"Hey. It's ok you're safe I promise," Reid said as he continued to move towards her.

Jess, startled, started to recoil, but relaxed when she saw his eyes were a normal color. Not sure if she was ready to be this close to him, she kept her voice neutral, "I read the letter."

"What do you think?"

"I believe your story about what happened with Chase. He was so destructive, you described him perfectly."

"So you'll help us?"

Jess nodded, "I'll try."

"Great," Reid said as he smiled down at her. He walked over to the door and held out his hand.

Hesitantly, Jess climbed off the bed and slipped her hand in his as they walked downstairs to figure out what everyone was going to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As they walked into the family room of the house, Jess spotted Caleb, and shifted herself behind Reid. Her grip on his hand tightened, and she put her other hand on his bicep.

Reid pulled her over to a couch and they both sat down across from the other three guys, and Jess was unsure about what would happen next. Caleb looked over at her and smiled reassuringly, and she tried to relax.

"Jess, Reid already filled us in on your stalker story, but we need you to fill in the details."

"Well the beginning is pretty much the same up until the actual stalking part. He saw me use one day when I got a flat tire after one of the school dances. At first I wasn't sure if he had seen, but by the next day I was positive. He followed me around like crazy, not saying anything, just following me. I tried to avoid him, but it was too hard to dislike him in public because everyone liked him so much. I stayed home one day intending to pack my bags and get out, but I wasn't fast enough. He stormed into my house and yelled, _do you know what I can do to you? You think you're the only one with abilities? _I tried to shake it off, still in denial that he had seen me use, when he threw me up against a wall. He was ten feet away. His eyes were black as he walked closer to me whispering, _I've always had a problem with using. You see, I didn't know how addictive it was, and now I just can't stop. Will me your gift__ and I swear your family won't be touched. _I tried to explain that I couldn't, and that it would be impossible for me to will it away, but he was no longer listening. My mom had come home for lunch that day, and walked in on the scene. Still keeping me up against the wall, Chase hit my mom with a burst of power, sending her tumbling down the stairs."

"What do you mean your gift," Pogue interrupted looking confused.

Jess held up a hand to silence him and continued, "He threw me around some more, but he wasn't getting the answers he wanted out of me. I concentrated as hard as I could and hit him hard. At this point I'm a little fuzzy. I'm not exactly sure how I did it, but I got my mom out of the house and to the hospital. The next thing I remember is the doctor telling me the surgery went well, but she hadn't woken up yet. My father and I waited for weeks, but she still hadn't woken up, and we both agreed that if I left, she might have a chance. First I ran to Canada for a while, but started having nightmares and panicked. Then I moved to California, but the same thing happened. The whole summer I must have moved every week to keep him off of my trail. Knowing I couldn't neglect school, I ran here, but it won't be long until he finds me again. Reid told me about what happened before I met Chase, and I'm terrified that nothing will be able to kill him."

"What did you mean before about not being able to will away your power," Caleb asked.

"Haven't you read the whole history?"

She looked around and noticed that all four boys had identical looks of confusion. Sighing, Jess got up and walked to a window.

"Before the five came over from Europe, there were ten. All ten were siblings, in five sets of twins: one boy and one girl in each set. No one knows the parents that raised the ten children, or how exactly the power originated, but ALL ten children possessed it. The power of one completed the other. The girls' power was like a steady stream of electricity while the boys' power focused itself into balls of energy. The boys carried the bulk of the strength and endurance when it came to using, but couldn't protect themselves for shit. That's where the girls came in. Not only could the girls create a protective barrier around themselves and anyone around them, they had the ability to use without aging."

"WHAT" Pogue yelled.

Jess shushed him and continued, "When the twins were to turn eighteen, the girls could share this gift with their brothers, but the ten never made it that far. Being reckless one night, one of the ten exposed their power to the public. With everyone on a witch hunt, excuse the pun, the twins decided to split up for a time to keep each other safe. They only planned to separate for a couple of months, until everything died down, but matters only got worse. The five boys, running from witch hunters, decided to sleep aboard a ship one night. The next morning, they realized the ship had left port, and was traveling to America, leaving the five girls alone in Europe. Obviously you all know your own family history from there, but you don't know what happened with the girls. Just as the boys married, so did the girls, and just as the boys only had one offspring, so did the girls, but they had only girl children. Their power was passed down from generation to generation."

"Well then where is everyone else? Shouldn't there be five of you" Caleb demanded.

Jess shook her head slowly. "The five girl families moved to America a century ago. Actually, they lived near Ipswich for a time, but once again something hunted them. One of the boy families that had gone bad, wanting the power the girls had, attacked them."

"You mean Chase's grandfather was the one that attacked them?"

"Yes. Completely engulfed in power, he forced three of the five to will away their power, not knowing that they could have given him the ability to not age. Unlike your power, when we will ours away, the gift of agelessness isn't part of the deal. That gift has to be given freely."

"So there were still two families," said Caleb, "where is the other?"

"She's alive and safe, watching over my mother back home."

"Wait so we're related," Tyler asked, still kind of confused.

Jess laughed, "No, not really anymore. It's been over 500 years since the ten were separated. Our powers are the only thing that unites us, not our blood."

Reid, elated by this news although it was obvious they weren't really related, stood up and walked over to Jess, putting his arms around her. He looked down into her face, and knew there was something else.

"Babe, what is it?"

"Well, when I had first met Chase, I wanted to seem older so I told him my eighteenth birthday was a few weeks away. I already told you that he found out about my power and the gift of agelessness. The day he attacked me was my 'eighteenth' birthday. He must have figured out that I was lying by now," Jess said nervously, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"When is your real birthday?"

"Two weeks."

Reid's jaw clenched as Jess let this bomb dropped. He knew two weeks was not enough time. Chase could already be here. Reid, not wanting to let Jess know how scared he was, said, "Don't worry about it Jess. Everything is going to be fine."

Over her head, Reid caught the other boys eyes. Without speaking he said, _SHIT, FUCK, DAMMIT! WE ARE OUT OF TIME. CALEB, YOU BETTER HAVE A PLAN._

**_Authors note: What does everyone think so far? Thanks for the reviews!!_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"In two weeks you'll ascend? I know I have no right to ask you this Jess, but is it possible for you to give your gift to more than one person" Caleb asked

"Well traditionally it was only intended for one, but I could probably split it up amongst the four of you."

"How much of our lives would that spare do you think?"

"I'm not sure. You'd definitely still age faster….Wait! I have a plan. My friend back home turns eighteen the same day I do. We could both split our gifts up amongst the four of you."

The group looked around excitedly, nodding their heads. _This might work after all_, thought Reid.

"How soon can she get here?"

"Well tomorrow probably."

"Perfect. So on the night of your eighteenth birthday you'll give us the gift, and we will kick Chase's ass" yelled Pogue pumping his fists.

Not wanting to burst everyone's bubble, but knowing that full disclosure was probably best, Jess said, "well there are a few risks that come with our gift."

"Like what" Reid asked.

"Well in order for us to give it to you, there are rules. You have to prove that the power doesn't already control you."

"How do we do that?"

"Well normally, if I was to give the gift to only one person, that person would have to stop using for four weeks straight."

"But we only have two weeks!"

"I know, but if you guys stop using right now for the next two weeks until we ascend, it should work out fine since you will each only get about half of our gift."

"Is there a chance Chase knows about this? He could foresee this plan and attack us all tomorrow, and no offense Jess, but I don't think you can handle him on your own," Caleb said quietly.

Reid got up and started pacing, "Jess, I don't like this. We'll all be sitting ducks for two weeks! He could easily get to you. Not to mention the fact that I've barely gone two days without using"

Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler all smiled at this, knowing Reid would have the hardest time not using.

"I'm not sure if he knows, but it's our only choice. You guys all know that you cannot defeat him the way you tried last time. At least with our gift you won't suffer any consequences of attacking at full force."

"She's right Reid," Caleb said. "I say we all stick it out for two weeks. If Chase shows up, we'll just use and try to defeat him without the protection. If any one of us uses even if he doesn't show up, that person doesn't fight Chase when he comes for Jess. We've all seen our families waste away before the power. We can do this you guys. If we kill Chase, our future families will be safe."

Reid nodded, "Alright, for once I agree with you Caleb. I'm going to try not to use, but I think we all know that I'm going to need some help."

"Could there be anymore complications Jess?"

Jess spoke up again, "Once you guys are given the gift, my friend and I will probably pass out, meaning we won't have any power left to defend ourselves, or put up a barrier around you guys, so from then on it will be up to you guys to defeat him."

"We'll have to deal with that."

Everyone sat quietly thinking over the situation when Caleb's mom walked in. "Why aren't you guys in school today? Caleb, what's going on?"

"It's a really long story mom, I'll tell you later."

"Is there any chance we can have breakfast Mrs. Danvers," Reid asked sweetly, trying to distract her from asking more questions.

"Sure, just follow me." Everyone stood up and followed Mrs. Danvers into the kitchen while she made breakfast.

Reid was clenching his fists, trying to remind himself over and over again that he couldn't use for a while. Jess noticed his white knuckles, and tried to open his fists. At her touch, Reid relaxed physically, but mentally he was still nervous about the weeks to come. Caleb and Pogue were sitting in a corner whispering about what to do with their girlfriends during the fight. Both boys knew first hand how Chase could use Sarah and Kate against them. Last time, Kate had nearly died, and Pogue chasing after her, had almost died as well. If Caleb hadn't beat Chase, Sarah wouldn't have made it through the night. There was no way everyone could be protected if none of them could use.

The plan, although it did have flaws, was the only plan that might work, but who knows how many lives it would cost.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone!! Sorry this one took a while, I got a little caught up. Hope you like it. Please review!!**

**Chapter 11**

Deciding that everyone should stay at Caleb's for the time being, Sarah and Kate came over. Both Caleb and Pogue had a lot of explaining to do, and the four of them disappeared into another room for a while.

"What do you me Chase is back," Sarah said after listening to the whole story. "Caleb, if you couldn't beat him last time, how is this time going to be any different?"

"This time everyone will be involved. Hopefully, with the four of us plus the fact that we won't age as much will help. The only glitch in the plan is you guys."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't know how to keep you girls safe if we can't use for the next two weeks. He could come after you at any time and we wouldn't be able to do anything. Plus, Pogue, Tyler, Reid, and I will have to be with Jess and her friend when they ascend, so who will be with you two?"

"Caleb, what if we took them with us," said Pogue.

"What do you mean?"

"Well if we take them with us when Jess ascends, they can be protected first by Jess' protective barrier, and then when we can use again, there will be four of us surrounding them."

"Yea except we will have Jess and her friend to look after too. I don't know Pogue, could we protect the girls AND kill Chase at the same time?"

"Look man, I don't like the idea any more than you do, but what other choice do we have. We both know what happens when Chase uses people against us. If we don't take them with us, there is too much of a risk of losing them."

Caleb sighed, "You're right. Kate, Sarah, does this seem fair? It's the only way."

Both girls nodded, relieved at the chance to at least be near Pogue and Caleb when they fought Chase this time.

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Jess closed her phone and sat down on the bed next to Reid. "Ok, she's in. She'll be here first thing in the morning to go over the plan."

Reid nodded taking her hand. "I'm really sorry about all of this. We should have taken care of this problem last year."

"It's not really your fault. Actually, I'm surprised you guys made it this far without being able to protect yourselves. I mean sure you can block SOME power when it's thrown at you, but it's still really risky."

Reid smirked, "What can I say, I live dangerously."

Caught by surprise at his remark, Jess fell against the bed laughing. Reid, taking the movement as an opening, propped himself on top of her. He moved his head down towards hers and kissed her firmly on the lips. Jess' hands traveled up his arms, which were flexed as he held himself up from crushing her, and into his hair. Laughing, she pushed them both over so she was on top.

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A few hours later everyone had gone to bed. There were enough rooms in Caleb's house for a small soccer team, and Mrs. Danvers, trying to be a good parental figure, had demanded that everyone sleep separately.

Jess lay away wondering if the plan would actually work. _There's so much that could go wrong. I've already lost my mom, how many more people will I let Chase take from me? I'm so weak, I shouldn't have brought this on everyone here. _Jess' thoughts continued in this manner for some time, before she drifted off into another dreaded nightmare.

_Jess was standing alone back at Spencer. God damn it Jess thought. What the hell is wrong with me? Can't I just have a normal dream for once? Kate started walking in no direction in particular, she knew Chase would find her when he wanted to, and ended up at the pool in the gym. Jess saw Chase across the room, and immediately started yelling at him, when she noticed he couldn't hear her. Actually, now that she looked around, she could see Caleb in a swim suit too. Apparently they were at practice. Jess wondered why Chase couldn't see her; he was obviously the one giving her this nightmare. Jess watched as Caleb and Chase raced, and screamed in horror when Chase's eyes shot black, causing Caleb to hit his head on the side of the pool and start to sink. Chase, laughing, got out of the pool and stood above, watching Caleb's unconscious figure drown._

_Jess jumped in the pool to fish Caleb out, but as soon as she hit the water, she felt a hand grab her ankle pulling her down. Chase was underwater trying to drown her, and Jess tried to kick her legs free of his grasp. She knew if she threw her power at him, she might miss underwater and accidentally hit Caleb._

_Jess' head continued to bob in and out of the water, and Jess' lungs were starting to give out. Knowing it was her only way out, she threw her power at Chase hoping it didn't miss the mark. Lucky for her, Chase was thrown off of her, and Jess was able to surface. Now all she had to do was save Caleb._

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Jess woke up completely soaked, gasping for air. _Shit! That was some vivid dream, _she thought. Jess got out of bed and started to peel off her wet clothes. As she was pulling up her sweatshirt, she felt a chill go up her spine. _Fucking relax Jess, _she tried to tell herself, _you're just wet._ She turned around to see if something was behind her, and swore she saw a dark shadow in the corner of her room.

Jess threw open her door and ran down the hall to Reid's room. Not even bothering to be quiet, Jess swung open the door and jumped into bed, quickly pulling the covers over herself.

Reid, always the heavy sleeper, grumbled lightly and fell back asleep. Jess snuggled in closer to Reid, hoping his presence would thwart any further nightmares. Her heart was still beating wildly, and she tried to relax as she listened to Reid's breathing. Thirty minutes later, Jess could feel her conscious mind giving way, and she fell asleep without dreaming.

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Reid opened his eyes slowly, but quickly realized he wasn't alone in the room. He opened his eyes fully, and realized his head was in Jess' hair as the rest of his body cradled her. _Shit, I knew I was a heavy sleeper, but did I really walk all the way to Jess' room last night? _Reid glanced around the room, and realized he hadn't moved. Smiling, Reid snuggled closer to Jess.

For once Jess woke up with a smile on her face. She noticed what time it was however, and the smile quickly vanished. She had to get back to her room before anyone found out that she had switched rooms in the middle of the night. She scooted towards the edge of the bed, trying to disengage herself with Reid, but every time she shifted, so did he. The more Jess tried to get momentum to pull herself out of his grasp, the harder he pulled on.

"Reid I know you're awake. No way does anyone have that strong of a grip in their sleep. Now let me go so I can get back to my room, or I'll tell Mrs. Danvers that you abducted me in my sleep."

Reid chuckled softly without relinquishing his hold on her, "That's fine by me. I think it'll be worth Mrs. Danvers' wrath."

Laughing, Jess helplessly pleaded, "Reid come on, please?"

"No," Reid said with mock stubbornness, and he pulled her closer to him.

Realizing it was hopeless, Jess took matters into her own hands and elbowed him in the stomach. While the blow wasn't hard, it was surprising, and Reid's arms slackened their hold reflexively. Jess, seeing that it was her only chance, wiggled out of his grasp, and dashed back to her room before anyone knew she was missing.

"No fair," Reid shouted after her.

**Sorry one more thing... Ok so I was thinking that the next chapter should cover a week, like break down every day, but I'm worried it might be too long if I do that. But if I don't do it that way, it'll take a couple chapters before Jess' birthday, and I'm super excited to write that chapter so I don't want to have to wait...lol... So think about it, and tell me how I should do it!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok so I know I said I wanted to know what everyone thought before I decided how I was going to write the next few chapters, but I started writting, and I love this chapter so much I wanted to post it right away... :)**

**Chapter 12**

Day one----------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Friday, and the group was back at school. Mrs. Danvers had gotten them all up, and Tyler had driven everyone back to Spencer. Since all of them had missed Thursday, they all had to play 'catch up' in all of their classes. Well, Kate, Sarah, Jess, and Tyler played catch up, while the other three guys didn't bother.

Jess' friend was flying in later that day, so Tyler, Reid, and Jess went to pick her up at the airport around five. As they drove around the airport for what seemed like the hundredth time, Jess finally spotted her.

"There! She's right there in the blue."

Tyler quickly pulled over to the curb, cutting off a red sportscar, and Jess flung open the door and ran to her friend.

"BECCA!" Jess yelled as she jumped excitedly into her friend's arms. "Come on, we're over there, I want you to meet everyone."

As the girls walked back to the SUV with Becca's luggage in hand, Tyler immediately jumped out of the car to help them lift the bags, while Reid made the whipping sound.

"Wow TYLER. Thanks so much for helping with the BAGS," Jess said, giving Reid a pointed look, as they all got back into the SUV. Reid shrugged innocently, but not innocently enough because Jess said sweetly, "Payback will suck Reid."

Tyler looked back at Becca in the rearview mirror and rolled his eyes, and Becca smiled knowingly.

The four of them headed back to Caleb's since that's where everyone was staying. As they pulled up to Caleb's house, Becca let out a low whistle, and flashed Tyler a grin. Tyler smiled back, but not before Jess noticed.

"Oh no you don't Tyler."

"I wasn't doing anything Jess," Tyler said innocently

"Oh yes you were. Just know I'll be watching mister."

Becca laughed and hit Jess playfully on the arm as Tyler parked the SUV. Everyone else came out to meet them, and Jess introduced Becca to the rest of the group.

Later that night, the group sat around the living room discussing plans for the girls' ascension. Jess and Becca were sitting together on one sofa across from Tyler and Reid, Kate was sitting near Pogue, and they were across from Caleb and Sarah. As Tyler looked across at Becca, he found himself mesmerized by her light green eyes, dimpled cheeks, and auburn hair. Jess glared at Tyler when she caught him staring at Becca, but Reid just rolled his eyes.

"Alright," said Caleb. "Next Friday we need a plan that will keep everyone safe, and allow us to kick Chase's ass."

Becca looked thoughtful. "I actually thought about it on my plane ride over here, and I think I have a plan. Since both Jess and I won't ascend until 9:10 and 9:13…"

"Wait you guys ascend at different times? How can we keep Chase off of us that long?

Becca glared at Caleb and continued, "While Jess ascends first, I'll keep up the protective barrier. Hopefully, Jess will have enough strength left after giving you guys the gift for me to ascend under her protective barrier and give the gift to everyone."

"That's a lot of pressure on me Becca," Jess said with a worried expression.

Becca smiled, "Jess, you're strong enough. Besides, hopefully when you ascend you'll get an extra boost."

"Ok sounds like a plan," Pogue said.

"Woah, hold up there. There is still a major risk. Since none of you can use until after I give the gift to you, if Jess can't hold up the barrier, we are all screwed," Becca said grimly.

Caleb sighed, "Well I don't like those odds, but we don't really have a choice. Does everyone agree?"

Everyone nodded, and Jess wrapped her arms around her legs and put her chin on her knees. Caleb continued to talk about the other logistics, but Jess was no longer listening. Only Reid noticed when Jess silently got up and walked out. He moved to follow her, but Becca shook her head, knowing her friend wanted to be alone. They could all fill her in later.

Day two--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jess had been moping all day, Reid decided she needed some cheering up. Deciding that Nicky's would be fun, everyone took showers and got ready to go out Saturday night.

At Nicky's the guys pushed together a couple tables and went to order food while the girls held the table.

"So Becca, Tyler totally likes you," Kate said giggling.

"Yea, I totally agree. When was the last time Tyler was into someone Kate," Sarah asked.

Jess rolled her eyes and laughed when Becca turned a slight shade of pink and told everyone to shut up.

Reid sauntered back to the table looking at Jess, "so wanna see if you can still play pool?"

Jess smiled, "You're on loser."

As the two headed off to the pool table, Tyler sat next to Becca rolling his eyes.

"Reid is going to cry when he realizes Jess kicks his ass," Becca said.

"Nah. Twenty bucks says Reid can still beat her, even without using."

"You're on," Becca said, putting a twenty on the table and turning to watch the game.

Jess and Reid were so into their game, they hadn't noticed Aaron walk in. As Jess was leaning over the table to make a shot, Aaron walked past and grabbed her ass. Reid jumped out of the bar stool he was sitting on, and grabbed Aaron by the shirt, pushing him up against a nearby pillar. Jess gasped and tried to pry Reid's hands off of Aaron before Reid did anything stupid.

"Take one more look in her direction asshole, and I swear you won't live to see another day."

Aaron glared at Reid, but knew he had lost. Nodding in agreement, Reid finally let him go, and Aaron walked angrily out of Nicky's.

"Reid, you have to be careful."

"Aw come on Jess, you know I could have taken him without using." With that Reid walked out of Nicky's.

Jess sighed and moved to follow him, but was blocked by Kira. Kira raised her hand to smack Jess, but Jess quickly dodged it and pulled Kira's arm behind her back.

"Look KIRA, I don't care about your fucking boyfriend, and obviously he doesn't care about you, otherwise he wouldn't be hitting on me every five seconds." Jess pushed Kira forward into a table, and moved quickly towards the exit, hoping Reid hadn't already left.

She looked around the parking lot and saw that Caleb's car was gone, and knew she was too late. Reid had already left. Deciding that Reid's stubbornness wasn't going to ruin her night, Jess turned to go back inside when Aaron grabbed her arm.

Aaron pushed her against the wall, one hand around her mouth, and the other at her hip. Jess knew she could use and he would regret ever touching her, but she also knew that her using might attract Chase to her faster. She tried instead to knee him, but he neatly dodged her, laughing all the while.

"Come on Jess, you know you want me," Aaron purred as he started to un button her top.

Jess bit his hand and started to scream when he pulled it away. Aaron, not wanting someone walking outside to the scene, threw Jess over his back and started to walk to his car. Jess screamed louder, but it was in vain. The music in Nicky's was too loud, no one could hear her.

Aaron threw Jess into his Escalade, and shut the door behind him. Grabbing a pair of hand cuffs that he apparently kept in his car, he cuffed Jess' hands together with one pair, and used another pair to cuff her cuffed hands to the door handle. Noticing that Jess was trying to kick him, Aaron quickly sat on her legs, making it impossible for Jess to wiggle free. He continued to unbutton her shirt slowly.

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As Reid drove back to Caleb's, he started to calm down. His mind kept flashing back to the look on Jess' face before he had stormed out, and he started to feel guilty. _She was just trying to make sure I didn't use. FUCK! I'm such an idiot. I better fucking turn around and apologize before she decides I'm not worth the trouble. _Reid turned around to go back, and pulled into the parking lot of Nicky's.

Getting out of the car, he walked back into Nicky's where everyone was sitting.

"Guy's, where's Jess? I sort of owe her an apology."

Everyone's eyes went wide as Becca spoke, "Reid, we thought she left with you, she followed you outside and didn't come back in."

"FUCK!" The guys stood up and followed Reid as he dashed back outside, and Caleb told Becca to use if she thought the girls were in danger.

As the guys walked around the parking lot, looking for anything that would help them find Jess, Tyler spotted something silver shinning in a nearby Escalade. Walking over to it, he saw Aaron sitting on top of someone. Thinking it was just Kira, Tyler turned to look somewhere else when he saw Kira walk out of Nicky's.

Turning back around, Tyler yanked open the door of the Escalade, and found Aaron sitting on top of a partially naked Jess. Reid, who had been near Tyler, saw all of this at once, and immediately grabbed Aaron, yanking him off of Jess.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM AARON?!" Reid held Aaron by the shirt and began to pummel Aaron. The boys let Reid get a few blows in before they interceded.

Pogue pulled Reid back, and Caleb grabbed a heavily bleeding Aaron as he tried to flee.

"Not so fast Aaron," Caleb said lazily. Caleb then kneed Aaron in the groin hard, and threw him to the ground. "You better get out of here before Pogue lets Reid go. For future reference, when Reid says back off or he'll kill you, he means it. I wouldn't show up to school for a while if I were you. You don't want people asking why your face suddenly was rearranged and your balls were missing."

Aaron got up and ran off, and Pogue held on to Reid until he was sure Reid had calmed down enough.

Reid moved into the escalade, and tried to calm down a hysterical Jess. Aaron had succeeded in undoing her top, and Reid shuddered to think what would have happened if Tyler hadn't found them. Reid quickly found the keys to the cuffs, and un cuffed Jess from the door. Still shaking, Jess was almost unaware of Reid's presence.

When Reid saw this, he buttoned up her shirt, and pulled her out of the escalade, and scooped her up in his arms. Without looking at the guys, he carried her to Caleb's car, got in, and drove off. Caleb and the others went back inside to get the girls. It was time they all went home.

**So I love Reid. I don't know if anyone noticed hehe... Please review! Sorry this chapter only covered two days, but it was so long, I had to cut it off after only two days**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Day three----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reid had barely slept the night before. Jess had been shaking the whole ride home. Even when they had gotten to Caleb's house, Jess seemed incapable of movement. Reid, without saying a word, had opened her door and scooped her up again, carrying her to his room, not even bothering to explain himself to Mrs. Danvers.

Worn out from the night's events, Jess had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and Reid began to pace. After a couple hours, Reid had sat down in the lounge chair across from the bed, exhausted from pacing, but unable to fall asleep.

Jess woke up alone in Reid's room. "Reid," she called nervously as she sat up in bed. She relaxed when she saw him in the lounge chair, and felt bad that he had slept there all night.

Reid woke up with a horrible crick in his neck, having slept awkwardly on the lounge chair. He saw the worried look on Jess' face, and immediately stood up to go to her. Jess flinched at the quick movement, causing Reid to halt a foot from the bed. He tried to keep his distance, not knowing if Jess was still angry with him.

Jess realized why he had stopped, and forced herself to relax. She pulled Reid unto the bed, and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm really sorry Reid."

"Jess, what are you talking about? You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one that should be apologizing. If I hadn't stormed out, Aaron would have never touched you. What happened Jess? Why didn't you use?"

Jess shuddered, "I really don't want to talk about it."

Reid kissed her head nodding, but said, "Jessica, I have to know what happened, otherwise I'll just start imagining something worse. I was up half of the night imagining things. Please, you have to tell me what happened."

"I was coming out after you, after you stormed off, when Kira stopped me to give me a hard time. By the time I got outside, you had left. I turned to go back inside, when he grabbed me. I tried to scream, but no one could hear me…"

"Why didn't you throw up a protective barrier?!"

"I didn't want Chase to sense me any further than he already has. I figured I could handle Aaron without using, and I needed to save up my energy for Chase. I thought he was only going to try to kiss me, but he started to unbutton my top…"

Reid sucked in his breath, and held onto Jess tighter. "Jess please, next time you feel that you are in any danger just use. I would gladly give up the gift to keep you safe."

Jess nodded, "I guess in the back of my mind I thought someone would find me at first. And then when… when he threw me in his car, my mind was racing so fast I couldn't focus long enough to do anything."

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Around noon, everyone had made it down to eat. Caleb decided to grill for everyone, and he and Pogue were setting everything up. Jess had been quiet all morning, but was starting to relax by the time the burgers were served.

Everyone had been careful around her all day. As they ate, people would glance her way, and then quickly look away when she noticed. Jess was getting tired of the game, and wanted to straighten everything out.

"Guys, come on! Stop acting like you're walking on egg shells around me. I'm fine, really."

Not convinced, Becca said, "Jess look, we're all just worried about you. No one will tell us what happened. We know Reid knows the whole story, but he's not budging. We just need to know why you didn't use."

"I… I didn't want Chase to find us before we ascend. Becca, he's already on my trail, and it's only a matter of days before he finds me."

"It's not worth…"

Jess interrupted, "Yes it is! Look, I know it was a bad call, but it ended up fine right? Nothing happened. So can we please stop talking about it?!"

Becca glanced at Reid, and saw he was getting more anxious the more upset Jess got. Becca knew they were all five seconds away from Reid picking Jess up and carrying her away from them all. She sighed and nodded in agreement with Jess, knowing that the eight of them needed to stay together if they were going to make it.

Day four-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Monday morning, and everyone was slow to get up. The night before had not ended well. The group was still tense when everyone went off to bed. Jess was so mad that she went to her room alone, not even bothering to say goodnight. Reid had tried to calm her down, and had stood outside her door for an hour before giving up. Becca had tried to apologize to Reid, knowing it was her fault that Jess was so pissed, but the apology fell on deaf ears.

Tyler drove everyone to school in his SUV in silence. Sarah and Kate had tried to spark conversations, but no one was listening. Mrs. Danvers had registered Becca for classes at Spencer, under the pretense that she was Caleb's cousin and would be staying with them.

As soon as they hit school grounds, everyone split up. Jess moved quickly to Chemistry, but knew Reid was in the class with her. Sighing, she waited for him to catch up, and kept her head down as they walked to class. Honestly, Jess didn't even know why she was mad at him anymore. _It's not like he forced Becca to be a bitch, or told everyone else to avoid me, _Jess thought.

Feeling a little better by the time they reached the class, Jess opened her mouth to apologize to Reid, when she spotted Aaron. Panicking, Jess started to back out of the class room, but the teacher had walked in and spotted her trying to bolt. Reid looked down at her confused, but followed her gaze to Aaron, and clenched his jaw. The teacher ushered both of them into the room, and Jess and Reid were forced to walk past Aaron to get to their seats. By the time they had reached their seats, Jess was shaking. Reid felt helpless because he was at a loss to know what to do to comfort her in a room with thirty other kids.

Jess tried hard to concentrate on the lecture, but found her gaze shifting over her shoulder towards Aaron. Each time she looked over her shoulder, she found both of his black eyes on her. The more times she turned around, the more nervous she got, until Reid coughed loudly causing Aaron to glance his way. As soon as their eyes met, Aaron went red, and kept his head down for the remainder of the class. Jess sighed in relief, and started to focus on the day ahead of her.

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By the time lunch rolled around, Jess was feeling more confident about facing Aaron. Giving herself a quick pep talk before going into the dining hall, Jess felt prepared for whatever came her way.

Aaron was a few people away from her in the line for food, but Jess was completely oblivious to his presence. As she scooped up her food and turned to head back towards her usual table however, she spotted him. Trying not to show weakness, Jess walked right past him.

"Hey babe, need a hand," Aaron sneered.

Unfazed, Jess kept walking, but stiffened when Aaron grabbed her arm.

Aaron held her arm, and was at her back whispering, "You know you liked it Jess. Come on, you know it would have been great had we not been caught. Ready for round two?"

Jess, tired of playing the victim, decided this was as good of an opportunity as any, and brought up her foot sharply directly between his legs. Howling with pain, Aaron let her go, and Jess took the chance to say casually, "If you ever touch me again, I'll scream rape so loud even your ancestors will hear me. Why don't you just cut your losses and go back to your slut Kira? She must be missing quite a few senses to stay with you, what with your appearance, stench, and overall sliminess." Laughing at Aaron's gapping mouth, Jess moved to her usual lunch table with a smile on her face.

**Author's note: ok so i know this chapter was a little bit of fluff, but it was getting too long again so i had to cut it off after two days...AGAIN... [sigh... i think the next chapter will mush the days together more because i'm starting to get antsy (sp?) about Chase coming...idk i'll come up with something good though...PROMISE!!... anyways... i kind of feel pathetic because i don't really have that many reviews...so i was wondering if after this chapter everyone could just review...even if it just says, "YAY!" or something gay...so that i feel better about myself...(sorry for the shameless plug)...until next time...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey this chapter is really long but really good...you'll probably hate me at the beginning of it, but it's totally worth it... Read and Review please!!**

**Chapter 14**

Day five--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday started off a lot better than Monday, except for the part where Jess still hadn't talked to Reid. Every time she had started to apologize something had come up, and Jess felt the space between them widen as Monday ended. But today she was determined to set everything right, and she was going to start as they walked to Chemistry together.

Reid had been sulky all morning, and assuming that Jess still didn't want to talk to him, he moved out of the SUV quickly and turned to leave for class.

"Hey Reid, wait up," Jess yelled after him as she raced to catch up.

"Oh so you're talking to me today," Reid said sardonically. He instantly regretted it.

Jess winced and bit her lip, unsure if he would even accept her apology. "Look Reid, I'm really sorry. I've been acting like a total bitch. I don't even know why we got into a fight in the first place."

"I do," Reid said bitterly. "You don't trust me Jess. I get it. It's fine, but I really liked you."

_Liked?! _Jess thought, panicking; _As in past tense? _Jess's heart fell, and her mouth opened, but no words came out.

"See? Even now you can't tell me what you're thinking." Reid shrugged and moved away from her to his seat.

Jess was so numb that she turned and walked out of class, not even bothering to heed the teacher's warning. Outside of her old room, Jess collapsed against the wall sobbing. She dug out her old room key, and yanked open the door, collapsing into her old bed. She didn't know how long she lay there, and she let the tears poor out of her, unconcerned with her appearance.

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"Fuck! Caleb, I really screwed this up," Reid said at lunch.

"Ya you did. What did you say to her exactly?"

"Just that she couldn't trust me and that I really like her."

"That's all?"

Reid thought for a moment, and realization hit him hard, "Shit! I didn't say like…I said likED! No wonder she looked so shocked."

"Who looked so shocked," Becca asked as she sat down.

"Reid basically told Jess that he didn't like her," Caleb said, glaring at Reid.

"YOU WHAT?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHE LIKES YOU?!"

Reid buried his head in his hands abashed. "I know ok? FUCK! No wonder she can't trust me. Every time I turn around I'm hurting her."

"Well what happened next," Becca asked.

"She left class."

"Has anyone seen her since?"

"I don't know, that's my only class with her today," Reid said, glancing over at Caleb who had two classes with her.

Caleb shook his head, "She wasn't in any of my classes today. I figured she just went to the nurse or something."

Becca glared at Reid, "You better make this up to her, or there will be hell to pay."

Day six-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jess hadn't even bothered to go back to Caleb's last night. She had phoned Becca and spent an hour and a half arguing with her, but Becca finally agreed to let Jess stay in her old dorm for the night. Jess actually hadn't gotten much sleep, but the sleep she did get was dreamless, and she was thankful. Wearing the uniform from the day before, Jess washed her face and pulled her hair back. She needed to talk to Reid. She couldn't make things awkward for the rest of the group just because he wasn't into her.

"Hey Jess, can we talk" Reid asked as Jess stepped out of her dorm room.

"Reid, how did you get here so fast?"

"Caleb let me take his car," Reid said impatiently. "So can we talk?"

"Uh yea look I'm sorry I ran out on you yesterday. I guess I was just surprised. I'm really sorry about how things ended…"

"Look about that, I didn't mean…"

Jess held up her hand to stop him, "it's fine. Honestly, I'm glad you told me the truth. You're probably right, we never could have worked. It was probably just the whole situation that sparked it in the first place. I just don't want this to be awkward for everyone else, so let's agree to stay friends." Misinterpreting his confused look, Jess continued, "well at least until this whole thing is over."

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The rest of the day went uphill for Jess. Every time she saw Reid, her heart ached, but she was trying to adjust the best way she knew how. At lunch she laughed with everyone, and tried to act normal, and everyone seemed to be buying it. What Jess didn't know was that Reid hadn't told everyone that he had accidentally broken up with her, and that when he tried to rectify it, she had really broke it off with him. Everyone assumed the two were still together, and Reid didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, or receive anymore lectures.

Jess tried to stay away from Reid whenever they were in a big group, always distancing herself with a couple of people in between them. It was just easier that way. Reid was at a loss, thinking that the break was what she wanted, while Jess simultaneously thought the break was what he wanted.

Day seven------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday was slow, and everyone decided they needed a break from Spencer. Tyler drove everyone to Nicky's, and Caleb warned everyone repeatedly on the way over to not be provoked. Pogue and Tyler had rolled their eyes, knowing that Reid couldn't go anywhere without getting into trouble.

Inside, the group split up. Tyler and Becca went to play pool, Pogue went to get food, and Caleb and Sarah started towards the dance floor. Jess and Kate sat at a table with a few drinks, just chatting. Reid, not wanting to Jess to feel awkward, went with Tyler and Becca. At least, that's what he told himself. Really he just didn't know how to act around her anymore. She had torn away all of his defense mechanisms, and for once he had cared about someone other than himself, but that person wanted nothing to do with him

"So I hear you and Reid broke up," a boy said as Jess was ordering food.

"Huh? Do I know you?"

"You should, I'm in a couple of your classes. My name's Jason." Jess looked at him more carefully then. He was medium build, about a head taller than her, with short light brown hair, and expressive blue eyes. She did recognize him.

"Oh sorry Jason, I guess I've been out of it lately."

"So you and Reid?..."

"Yea, I don't really want to talk about it. I actually didn't even realize it was school wide news."

"Everything about you is school wide news," Jason said, leaning towards her.

Jess laughed nervously, "I doubt it. I mean, I haven't been at Spencer long enough for that many people to notice me I hope."

"Well I noticed you. Too bad Reid got to you first" he said winking.

That's when she felt it, the air suddenly rushed out of her lungs, and she felt her entire body go cold. She backed quickly away from him, and she saw his smiling eyes cloud with confusion.

She caught Becca's eye, and noticed that all four boys had stiffened. Everyone walked over, and it was all Becca and Jess could do to keep everyone from using. _It's not like Jason did anything,_ Jess thought. _Chase is just getting closer._

"Come on, lets just go" Jess said, tugging at Caleb's sleeve. She saw Reid glaring at Jason, and felt sorry for the boy. She immediately stepped between Jason and Reid, her eyes pleading Reid to just walk away. Reid nodded, and pulled Jess in front of him as they walked out of Nicky's, glaring at Jason the whole way.

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Back at the house, Reid had hung back to make sure Jess was ok.

"Look Reid, I'm fine. I'm really sorry. I feel like you're always saving me. I can do it, really, you don't need to protect me. We both know you don't want to be here."

"Jess what are you talking about, you're all I think about," Reid said, pounding his fists against the wall.

"Wh-what are you talking about? You're the one that didn't want to be with me anymore. Is this about Jason hitting on me?"

"GOD JESS, JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE. I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY LIKED, I MEANT LIKE. IT JUST CAME OUT AS PAST TENSE. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT SAID IT WOULDN'T WORK BETWEEN US."

"Only because you were clearly not into it anymore. I was just trying to make it easier on you until I left."

Reid sighed, pulling Jess into him. She fought back at first, still confused, but Reid held her fast before she could wiggle free. "God I've made such a mess of everything. First I wasn't there to protect you, and YOU felt guilty. Then I can't even get everyone to get off your back about it. Then I make you think I never even liked you. Jess, I have never felt this way about anyone. I'm sorry I keep screwing up. Please, you have to believe me that I want you in my life."

Jess started to cry then, pouring out all of the emotion bottled up since the Aaron incident. She looked up at Reid, smiling, and he caught her lips with his. Jess felt a weight lift from her shoulders that she hadn't known she was carrying.

Reid broke the kiss then remembering something, "What do you mean Jason was flirting with you?"

Jess let out a laugh, "Down boy, I wasn't interested."

Reid smiled then, ruffling her hair, and they started to walk back inside. "And what did you mean 'until I left'?"

"Well after this is done I wasn't planning on staying here."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Reid said, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to his room, Jess laughing the whole way.

**Good eh?! New character Jason should be interesting...i just hope Reid can keep Jess from him...hehe**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry this took so dang long...i got kind of caught up with family things...Anyways, i hope you like it...Review please!**

**Chapter 15**

Day eight---------------------------------------------------------------------------

That Friday everyone had a half day, and it was the first day that the group split up after school, even though Caleb was still throwing a fit over it. It was Sarah that had calmed him down enough to consider the split, and for that, the whole group was thankful. Jess particularly was suffering from friend suffocation, and needed a day to herself…well maybe a day with just her and Reid. Becca and Tyler had headed off to the library to work on a 'project', but Jess had a strong suspicion that the 'project' in question had nothing to do with English, and everything to do with the human anatomy.

"So what's the deal with Tyler and Becca," Jess asked as she and Reid sat down at the movies.

Reid shrugged, but a small smile played at the corner of his lips, "I don't know. I think baby boy might like her."

Jess rolled her eyes, "I can tell he likes her dumb ass. I was asking if anything had happened."

"And you thought calling me names was going to get you what you wanted? You'll have to be more persuasive," Reid asked playfully as he leaned towards her.

"Mm… Well how about you just tell me and I promise not to kick your ass at pool in front of Jason."

"First of all, there is no way you could kick my ass at pool, it just wouldn't happen."

"Ha. We'll see. Remember, you can't use. When was the last time you actually won a game without resorting to your enhanced abilities," Jess said, knowing it would get Reid riled up. Reid glared at her, but Jess just laughed. Reid smiled then, happy to hear her laugh, and they both settled down as the movie started.

Thirty minutes into the film, and Jess couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. The zombie's fake blood was clearly evident, and she swore the 'ghost' was wearing a sheet. Jess' laughter was contagious, and Reid started to chuckle softly too. The lady two seats over turned to glare at Jess, which caused another fit of giggles to erupt from Jess' lips. She turned her head into Reid's chest to keep it down, but her body was shaking so hard with the effort she started to cry. Jess decided now would be a good time to leave the theater, before the lady next to her had an aneurism from glaring so hard.

Jess stood in the concession line when someone tapped her soldier.

"Hey Jess," Jason said smiling down at her.

"Oh hey Jason what are you doing here?"

"Seeing a movie, what else?"

Jess rolled her eyes and turned back towards the counter to order popcorn when she felt Jason move closer to her. Jess stiffened instantly, reminded of Aaron, and tried to sidestep without being too obvious.

Jess felt Jason step back instantly, and relaxed as she turned to head back to the movie. That's when she noticed that Jason was no where near her. Confused, Jess looked around for where he might have gone to, but saw nothing. Shuddering slightly, she walked back into the movie and tried to keep the giggles down.

Day nine---------------------------------------------------------------------

The guys had a swim meet in that morning, so the group headed to the gym together. Jess hadn't told Reid about Jason's strange appearance, but had slept badly the night before. She didn't have any horrible nightmares involving Chase, but her dream last night was just as bad. Jess had stepped into a dream with no setting. Literally, darkness surrounded her, and as her eyes tried to adjust to the light, she could hear only distant laughter. Jess had to admit that even though nothing had happened per say, the dream had sufficiently creaped her out.

She was a little on edge as the girls headed towards the gym, which was not helped by the fact that Jason suddenly appeared beside them.

"Hey Jess," Jason waved as he moved to walk along side her.

Kate and Sarah exchanged a look, but quickly smiled at Jason when introduced.

Jason went inside with the girls, and placed himself right next to Jess. Actually, Jess was so close to him that she swore she could feel his heart beat. Seeing Jess' distress, Sarah and Kate inched over so that Jess could slide away from Jason, but every time Jess moved even slightly, Jason would move too. Jess started to go into full panic mode. She couldn't move to the bathroom fast enough. She locked herself in a stall, and focused on slowing her heart rate, and calming down. Splashing cool water on her face, Jess opened the door to walk back in the gym. Noticing that Jason had left, Jess relaxed and moved back to her friends to watch the meet.

"So what happened to Jason," Jess asked as she sat down.

"Who?"

"Jason. You know the guy that was here with us like five minutes ago."

"Oh…uh, actually I don't remember him getting up to leave. He must have slipped out of here right after you left."

Jess forced herself to relax. _It's a coincidence that he disappeared again. It's not like he's related to Chase. Stop freaking out._

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Not mentioning Jason to Reid, the pair split up to go to their separate bedrooms when they got to Caleb's house. Reid would come later when Mrs. Danvers had gone to bed. Jess settled into her bed, and began to drift off instantly.

"_Fucking fuck! Where am I," Jess asked the darkness._

_Of course no one answered back, and Jess sighed. Deciding that wandering around would get her no where, Jess sat down. _

_Instantly she felt a slight breeze behind her and a soft chuckle. Whipping her head around, Jess saw no one. Jumping to her feet, Jess started to feel around with her arms outstretched. No matter how far she reached with her arms, she felt nothing, and she started to move forward when another sound stopped her. This time a voice could definitely be made out._

"_Jessica…Oh Jessica….Where are you" the voice taunted._

"_Who's there?"_

"_It's me Jess…You know me…"_

"_WHO ARE YOU? WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"_

_The voice began to quote Shakespeare, "What's in a name, that which we call a rose…"and Jess could hear the voice echoing all around her._

_Turning side to side, Jess began to panic. She could feel the 'voices' breath on her neck, but each time she struck out, she caught nothing. Repeatedly striking out, Jess could feel herself falling through air that a moment ago had been solid ground. Jess had no idea how far down solid ground was, and hoped she would wake up before she had to find out._

Reid entered Jess' room quietly, but he secretly hoped Jess was still awake. He saw Jess shift slightly, and mistook the movement as though Jess were. He climbed into bed, and pulled her close to him, kissing her forehead and then going for her lips.

As he bent to kiss her, Jess' body began to quake. Reid's eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, saw with horror that Jess was in another nightmare. He quickly tried to shake her awake, afraid of whomever was at the other end of Jess' mind, but she wasn't waking up. He started to call her name and shake her harder, but Jess wasn't waking up. Reaching over for the glass of water on the nightstand, Reid flicked water on her face, but got no response. Picking Jess up, Reid started to race towards Caleb's room, hoping he would know how to wake her safely.

**Ok so i promise ill hurry with the next chapter...hopefully Jess doesn't eat shit... who knows :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay i updated quickly!! sorry it only covers 2 days AGAIN! maybe one day i will learn not to write so much so i can fit more in...oh well...i'm already starting the next chapter (i have to make up for lost time...plus i want to get to the ascension already!!)**

**Chapter 16**

Day 10------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Sunday morning around 2 AM before the guys could get Jess to wake up. They had tried everything short of using, much to the chagrin of Reid. Reid had wanted to use the instant he saw that Caleb didn't know what to do, but Caleb's death stare had kept him 'sober'. It had taken all four of them poking her and shouting at her before she had waken up. They had even tried to 'dunk' her in the bath tub.

Jess gasped as she wrenched open her eyes. _Shit, Fuck, Shit! Why is this always happening to me, _Jess thought as she turned red. The group let out a sigh of relief, and let the girl catch her breath before they bombarded her with questions.

"So what was the dream about," Caleb asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He really wanted to shake some sense out of her, but knew Reid was already on edge.

"Nothing actually. I was in complete darkness this time."

"Was Chase there?"

"I'm not sure. There was a voice around me, taunting me, but the more I tried to catch him, the dizzier I got, until I was falling…"

Caleb nodded thoughtfully as Reid asked, "Caleb what does this mean?"

"Jess, your nightmares will probably get worse as we near your ascension. The one you had tonight took us nearly 2 hours to wake you out of."

"Wh-what?!" Jess looked around with disbelief. "So this means that I could have ones that are worse that I won't even wake up from? Why would Chase do this? If I'm not alive, he can't take what he wants."

"But neither can we," Pogue said quietly.

"Pogue's right Jess. Chase must be getting desperate. He's running out of options. If he doesn't find you soon, he can't get what he wants."

"So if he doesn't find me I could die, but if he does find me, I could die? How is that fair," Jess said sardonically.

Jess had a lot to think about as she and Reid went back to her room. As they both lay down, Jess realized she was too nervous to sleep. She knew Reid needed the rest, having been up half the night with her, and she was content to just lie in his arms and think.

Day 11------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday morning was not looking good, and not just for Jess. Already the group had endured enough to last a month, but Monday's fiascos were worse. Tyler woke up to find a flat tire. It took a lot of will power for Tyler to change the tire without using, not knowing how to change a tire by 'hand'. Caleb had woken up in a cold sweat, images of Chase dancing through his mind, and he swore he tasted actual blood in his mouth. Reid **knew** he tasted blood in his mouth when he woke up. In fact, Reid could see little spots of blood dotting his pillowcase. Pogue dreamt of Kate screaming all night, leaving him with a massive headache. He woke up with clenched fists, and it actually physically hurt him to uncurl them because they had been clenched so tightly for so long.

Unlike the boys, the girls had slept soundly. Well except for Jess. Jess hadn't slept at all for fear of nightmares, and was trying to cover the dark circles that rung her eyes. Becca thankfully didn't have any of the same symptoms that Jess was having since Chase didn't even know she existed, but Becca was worried Jess wouldn't be able to handle the stress AND ascending second. The boys were pissed at the situation, but relieved that Kate and Sarah weren't put in further danger by Chase. They just hoped it would stay that way.

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Jason woke up to a familiar face standing above him.

"Hey man. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"That's no way to talk to someone that's holding your soul now is it Jason? Now why haven't you gotten any info out of Jess?"

"Whatever, I'm working on it ok. Every time I try to get her alone, someone walks up. I can't just take her out in front of everyone."

"You can, and you will if you want to live past Friday," Chase said, emphasizing the last few words by jolting Jason with a bit of his power. Right now Jason was the only one that could help Chase get closer to Jess without drawing the attention of the sons of Ipswich.

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The day had only gotten worse for the sons of Ipswich. Aaron and his friends had picked a fight with Reid during the first break, and of course Reid was incapable of walking away. One fat lip later, Reid was hauled to the office for giving Aaron two black eyes and possibly a broken nose. Reid of course was smiling when the Provost listed the offenses against him, causing the Provost to only get madder.

The four sons of Ipswich met up at Nicky's later, deciding maybe Nicky's would help salvage the horrible day they had. The girls had projects to do and were staying at the dorm, but promised to call if one of them felt anything strange.

"God I fucking hate this," Reid shouted as he and Tyler played pool.

"What do you mean? You were all smiles earlier when you were dragged off," Tyler said grinning, sidestepping a punch from Reid.

"Not that. That my friend was a good time and totally worth it. I'm talking about the fact that this whole day I've been tempted to use. It's like an invisible force is taunting me and I swear I'm going to explode if it doesn't shut the fuck up."

Tyler nodded, "Hey ya, me too! What the fuck man? I swear this morning I was a half second away from giving in."

Reid scoffed, "Over a TIRE?!"

Tyler punched him, "Well that was part of it, but I swear in first period I could feel someone breathing down my neck, but there was NO ONE behind me."

"Fucking shit man. You know I don't ever think Caleb is right, but this time maybe we should stick together."

"Oh so you finally agree with me," Caleb asked sauntering over with Pogue clutching his head behind him.

"Yea, yea, rub it in golden boy," Reid said grinning.

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Jess walked into the library a little earlier than expected. The girls weren't coming for a half an hour or so, but Jess had enough work to keep her busy for days, so she began working. Finding a secluded table between several book shelves, Jess settled into her English work when she saw someone in her peripheral. Turning her head, Jess saw no one, and she tried to go back to work when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Hey Jess, what are you working on?"

Jess jumped about a foot in the air, and didn't relax when she saw that it was Jason that had startled her.

"Woah sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," Jess said, turning back to her work hopping he would leave.

"So, what are you working on," Jason asked again.

"Uh… Just the English assignment. I haven't even started and it's due tomorrow," Jess said pointedly, hopping Jason would get the message and leave. She was already weirded out by him enough.

Not taking the hint, Jason sat next to her and began pulling over books, highlighting important information.

An hour later, the two were still at it, and Jess was actually thankful for his help. Just as they were finishing however, Jason asked a startling question.

"So, what do you know about Chase Collins?"

"Wh-who," Jess stuttered.

"Chase Collins. He went here last year but then disappeared. Anyway, I ran into him last week and he mentioned you, which I thought was odd since I didn't think you knew him."

"Huh, maybe he was talking about a different Jess," Jess offered hopefully, trying to keep the note of hysteria out of her voice.

"Maybe, but not likely. He described you perfectly. He even had a picture. Actually, the picture looked like it wasn't taken around here so I figured he knew you before."

Not even bothering to respond, Jess swung her backpack over her shoulder and raced down the hall. _Jason talked to Chase…He knows where I am…fuck FUCK FUCK!!! _

**_So?! Good? Please Review!!_**


	17. Chapter 17

**ok so you're all probably going to hate me when you hear that this chapter has been sitting on my computer for weeks...I thought I had entered it but apparently I hadn't...and then I got busy so I hadn't had time to update with Chapter 18...but not to worry because today i fixed it so now you can have the next 2 chapters all at once!! sorry for disapointing everyone that reviews!!**

Chapter 17

Day 12---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday was just as hard as Monday had been. Jess once again had only slept a couple of hours, setting an alarm to wake her up every hour to avoid slipping into nightmares, and the circles under her eyes were getting darker. Reid's 'beast' was demanding so loudly that he use that he could barely hear his own thoughts let alone anyone else. Jess had looked up in Chemistry to see Reid shaking, jaw and fists clenched, and had tried to calm him down, but to little avail.

Reid seemed to be having the worst time, apart from Jess. Caleb at first laughed, knowing it was because of how much Reid normally used, but soon saw how much his friend was hurting. The whole group tried all of Tuesday to calm Reid down, but nothing seemed to be working. No matter how hard Jess tried, she couldn't unclench his fists, so she resorted to rubbing his back soothingly all day.

Tyler, who rarely ever used, if only to get Reid out of trouble, was suddenly faced with more temptation than ever. He could feel a wild craving deep within himself, and he didn't know if he was strong enough to resist. He resorted to swimming laps in the pool, but even then he had to swim for hours before he was exhausted and the beast within him quieted.

Pogue and Caleb seemed to be the only ones capable of keeping the wild beast within them down. They figured it was because they had ascended so long ago and the consequences were now greater for them, meaning they rarely used as it was. Jess figured it was because Chase knew he couldn't beat them all, and it would be easier to force the two younger boys to use than the two older ones.

Becca, Kate, and Sarah tried to keep everyone calm that day. Becca was having a hard time with Tyler, and they had gotten into a couple fights, something unusual for baby boy. Pogue had been so surprised at Tyler's outburst at lunch, he hadn't even defended Kate when Tyler began yelling at her. Unfortunately for Pogue this meant that he got an earful from Kate later. Reid in the meantime had avoided everyone except for Jess. He had tried to worm his way out of her grasp, feeling it would be safer for him to be alone, but Jess was having none of it.

Day twelve was probably the longest day any of them had ever endured. Between Reid and Tyler, the group didn't know who was acting worse. They all agreed they should probably take shifts watching over them to make sure they didn't use.

Day 13----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things got a little more intense on Wednesday. Jess could hardly focus on her school work, expecting Chase to come running through the doors at any moment. She had taken several sleeping pills the night before to avoid nightmares, but they hadn't worked the way she hoped. Instead of getting rid of the nightmares, they had made the 'dream Jess' incapable of movement, making the already horrifying dream even more horrific. It was only after the drugs had worn off that Jess could get out of the nightmare, and the worst part was that no one knew she was having a nightmare because like 'dream Jess', she hadn't been able to move. Caleb had already lectured her for what felt like hours, as if Jess didn't realize that it might have been a bad idea to take the pills.

Jess decided that she was no longer speaking to Caleb for the day. _The way he talked to me this morning! You'd think he was Reid! I swear I'm going to kick his ass when all of this is over_, Jess thought glaring at the back of Caleb's head during second period.

"Who are you cursing," Reid asked lazily as he sat down next to her.

"Caleb. Who else?"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. He can't help being an overbearing dictator," Reid said, raising his voice near the end.

Caleb turned his head and was met with Jess' fierce stare. Raising his eyebrows, as if to ask, "Do you want to say something to me?" Jess cowered then, knowing she shouldn't be mad at him, and Reid just chuckled.

"See, I told you so. He can even boss you around without uttering a single word."

"Humph."

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"There is no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight," Jess sighed as she stood in Caleb's living room.

"Yea, I've been thinking about that," Caleb said entering the house. "I think we'll all just take shifts tonight watching each other you know? Chase is bound to try something tonight, I mean we only have one night left."

Jess nodded, immediately feeling safer. "Ok sounds good."

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Caleb, being the dictator that he was, took the first shift, watching everyone sleeping in the living room in sleeping bags. He had already decided that he was going to take Reid and Tyler's shifts too, knowing the last few days had not been kind to them, so he had set up the rotation so that they would be after him.

At first Caleb tried to just sit quietly, but after an hour or so, he could feel himself drifting off, so he decided to pop in a movie on his laptop and put on headphones. Too bad doing this kept him from seeing Jess begin to go into a nightmare.

**psh...wait? what does that mean? don't worry the next chapter is just a click away!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Day 14 (well, night 13 to day 14)

_Jess immediately started to panic when she realized that she was in the same barn that Caleb had 'killed' Chase in. She hoped that whoever was watching her on the other side would get her out of this one before it was too late. _

_Looking around, Jess didn't see anyone, but she was too nervous to sit down. Pacing near the rear of the barn, Jess gasped when she felt a cold gust of wind. She looked towards the doors, straining to see if anyone had entered, but it was too dark to tell._

_"Hello pretty," Chase whispered in her ear. Turning swiftly, Jess saw no one, and her state of panic increased exponentially. _

_"Chase! Stop being a pussy and get your slimmy ass out here," Jess yelled fiercely, proud that her voice hadn't betrayed how scared she was._

_"Patience comes to those who wait my darling," Chase said, appearing a foot away from her._

_Jess screamed, and turned to run out of the barn, but immediately slammed into something. Jess looked up, but then immediately wished that she hadn't because it was Jason that was keeping her from escaping._

_Jason looked down at her sadly shaking his head, "if you had just given me the information I asked for, Chase wouldn't have needed to torment you like this."_

_"Do you really believe that Jason? This BOY is psycho. He would have done anything to get to me."_

_"Only because he loves you," Jason said._

_"WHAT?! HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME! HIS FAMILY IS THE REASON FOR MY FAMILY'S DEATH! HE WANTS ME SO HE CAN FINISH THE JOB!!"_

_Jason looked down at her worriedly, noting the earnestness in what she spoke. He opened his mouth to question Chase, but Chase had better ideas._

_"Oh poor Jason, got caught up in the game because he couldn't see a liar. Well Jason you knew the deal. You helped me get her so tomorrow when I kill her you can have your soul back since I won't need yours anymore."_

_Jason glared at Chase and immediately put Jess behind him._

_"Your act of chivalry is useless my friend, I intend to kill her no matter who is in front of her."_

_That's when a voice that Jess didn't recognize at first broke into the dream._

Reid felt a strange pull wake him up. Actually he had tasted blood in his mouth, and the sensation had pulled him from sleep. Looking around he saw Caleb watching a movie with head phones, and everyone else fast asleep. Because it was too dark to see facial expressions, Reid didn't see Jess' look of torment as he got up to go to the kitchen for a snack.

Sneaking back into the room just as Caleb put the movie away, the two boys stayed up and started to chat.

"Caleb, how bad is tomorrow going to be? Just be honest."

"It's going to be bad. I don't want to put anymore pressure on Jess, but if she can't keep up the barrier, we're all going down."

Sighing, Reid glanced over at the girl in question and immediately stood up. Caleb, following Reid's gaze saw that Jess had definitely slipped into another nightmare, at the worst possible moment.

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Hours later everyone was awake trying desperately to pull Jess out of her trance. Reid sat with fists clenched away from Jess at the order of Caleb, who feared that Reid would either use out of frustration or accidently hurt Jess.

It had been Mrs. Danvers that walked in on the scene that was able to calm everyone down. She crouched over Jess' thrashing form and whispered not to Jess but to Chase, "Chase…oh Chase-i-poo…. How many times do your relatives have to go through other people to get to the sons before they realize they are just too weak? Come on, fight like a man for a change. Don't worry, you'll get your chance with them tonight…"

Jess actually woke up giggling from a nightmare that should have left her severely upset. Mrs. Danvers smiled pleasantly at her and helped the girl up, glaring at everyone to give the girl distance until she got her bearings.

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That night everyone made their way towards the barn, and prepared for the night to come. Kate and Sarah were nervous about being the only defenseless ones in the clearing, but were happy that Caleb had decided they should be there for this. Reid hadn't moved from Jess' side, still worried that Chase would take her before they set their plan into action.

Pacing the clearing, Jess and Becca started to get nervous as the clock counted down: 3 minutes until 9:10… then 2… then 1… thirty seconds now…10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2..1………………..

**Once again sorry for the long wait...i actually started to not like my story (i just got sick of it)...but then this week i read through it again and didn't remember half of the stuff i wrote so it was like reading a whole new story...anyways im working on the next chapter as we speak so please review even though i was an asshole that didn't update quickly**


	19. Chapter 19

**Ok so i have a confession to make... The reason i hadn't updated in so long before these last few chapters was that i got really caught up in everyone else's stories... Obviously i was first drawn to this site because im obscessed with stories...anyways... i started reading everyone else's stories and then i couldn't keep mine straight...like i couldn't remember what i had wanted to happen in my own story because like a dumbass i didn't write some sort of outline so that i wouldn't get sidetracked (i wanted the story to evolve on its own). so then as i read other people's stories more and i forgot my own i started to look at my story as un original and dumb, which obviously did not encourage me to continue it... but then i re-read it and i actually laughed at my own jokes like it was the first time i had read them (a little embarrassing)**

**But the only reason i re-read my story was becasue of a couple new people that added me to their story alert and a couple old people that said they missed me...so thank you for making me get off my lazy ass and out of la la land to keep going with this story...oh and sorry this chapter is a tad on the short side (i had to leave you hanging!!)**

**Chapter 19**

Jess didn't have time to organize her thoughts before she hit the ground hard. Everyone paced nervously above her, knowing she had 3 minutes to recover before Becca would go through the same thing.

Immediately remembering the task at hand, Jess opened her mouth to give the gift to the sons when Chase's voice made her stop dead.

"What is this? A family gathering? Oh but I didn't get an invitation!! And what is this protective barrier I see? Don't you know that's rude!!" Chase began circling the barrier held up by Becca, throwing bursts of power at it as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Reid stepped in front of Jess, trying to block Chase from her line of sight whispering, "you only have 2 minutes before we are all dead."

Jess nodded and immediately grasped hands with the sons (so they all formed a circle). Knowing what Jess was about to do, Chase began to fight furiously against Becca's defense before it was too late, and Becca was losing her grip on the barrier.

"I freely give you the ability to use without aging!" Jess screamed, worrying she was too late. Jess was instantly on the ground, the force of her gift would have knocked her out cold had it not been for the four boys holding her up.

With only one minute to recover Jess tried in vain to clear her head and stand up. Chase was taunting her in her mind, willing her to give up so that he could finish what his ancestors started. Becca was starting to shake from the effort it took to keep the barrier up. Tyler stood behind her incase she fell, screaming at Jess to focus.

Thirty seconds left now……_Get out of my head asshole!!...never princess. You could have ended this months ago, but now all of the people you care about will suffer…_Fifteen seconds….Jess could hear Reid begging her to open her eyes, but Chase's pull seemed too strong….Ten seconds…nine…eight…seven…six….five…

It was Becca's ear piercing scream that finally woke Jess up. Unable still to stand, Jess tried to put up the barrier from the ground, knowing that she only had one chance to get it right. _God damnit Jess, hurry up. If you don't get this right everyone else will die,_ Jess thought to herself as she started to build up a barrier.

Just as Becca collapsed from ascending, Jess managed to get the barrier up, but Chase wasn't going to make it easy on her. While circling the barrier, that was already weak, Chase started to taunt Jess' mind again.

_Come on baby, is that all you've got? It seems that I've got more power in my pinky than you've got in your entire body. How long is this really supposed to keep me out? It doesn't look like Becca even survived the ascension. _

Jess instinctively broke concentration on the barrier to look to see if her friend was alright. That was her first mistake.

Noticing that the barrier had slipped slightly, Chase continued to pummel it with bursts of power and increased his hold he had on Jess' mind.

_Who is she by the way Jessica? I was under the impression that you were the last of the sisters._

_Well you were wrong fuck face,_ Jess thought back as she laughed out loud. That was her second mistake. The barrier needed all of her concentration and energy, which she was wasting on Chase by talking with him in her head. The laughter had only distracted Becca, who was trying in vain to stop shaking long enough to say the words.

"You know what Jess, I think I might keep you after all. I'll kill your friends and then make you my pet. Who knows, you'd probably be a fantastic _mother_," Chase said aloud, hoping to rile up more than just Jessica this time.

_Motherfucker_, Reid thought as he started to drop hands with the sons and Becca causing several things to happen at once.

"Reid stay where you are," Jess yelled, once again tearing her gaze and concentration from Chase and the barrier she was trying to sustain. This was her last mistake.

Chase, using Jess' slip to his advantage, thrust an enormous jolt of power at the barrier at the exact right moment, penetrating the barrier and hitting Jess square in the chest.

Chase, laughing over Jess' still body turned to the sons and Becca raising his arms to jolt again as Becca opened her mouth and turned to the sons still united circle.

**God whoever wrote this is a bitch!! if i ever find her i'm going to kick her ass for doing this... (i might not be able to update until sunday or monday because im going out of town... it's ok don't cry... we'll get through it together...please review in the meantime!)**


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